


Birthright

by gelstertherealgel



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood, Canon divergence post Destiny's Collide and onward, Characters are also retconned so slight ooc for certain people in regards to the regular canon, F/M, Like HUUUUUGGGEEEE canon divergence, Manipulation, Not incredibly graphic violence, Possibly triggering due to a depressive descent, Stalyan redemption, Trying to expand on character relationships that weren't explored super well in the show, heavily heavily, occasional strong language, season three is heavily retconned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 66,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24460735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gelstertherealgel/pseuds/gelstertherealgel
Summary: Moonstone!Eugene AU. Eugene is told of his family's legacy protecting the world from the Moonstone, an embodiment of pure evil in opposition to the Sundrop's embodiment of pure good. The Moonstone is Rapunzel's destiny, but that destiny could really be a grave. Eugene makes a decision that he knows he'll regret.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 42
Kudos: 137





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> King Edmund reveals something grave to his kingdom's intruder.

"...My..my mother?"

Eugene stared up at the portrait, his heart softened.

The familiar features...

He felt his throat start to close up.

Edmund placed a hand on his back, letting out a deep sigh.

Eugene rolled him off with his shoulder, still engrossed in the painting.

"....How did the Moonstone kill her..?",he spoke delicately.

Edmund seemed hurt by his disdain towards touch, staring at his armored hand for a moment before responding.

"The rocks. They...she wasn't in a position to react quickly I'm afraid. She was a great fighter in her day...",the king spoke with a hard and heavy heart.

Eugene stared deeply into the eyes of this woman he'd never known.

Soft brown like his own...

Even with his weighty doubts, this woman was uncannily similar to him.

He even saw glimpses of his features in the older man, making him feel small.

Each thought of his father being beside him weighed his feet down like lead.

This wasn't right.

This wasn't anything he'd wanted or expected from his family.

He breathed.

"...What do you mean?"

Edmund stayed in place, his eyes at his boots.

"...Our servants informed me that she was nursing. Her last moments were with you before she was impaled by the rocks."

Eugene paled, finally turning to face his father.

"...She...she was nursing...?",he repeated, his blood cold.

Edmund caught his eye,"She apparently shielded you with her body. Our servants found you crying in her lap after the damage had been done. A good woman until the end, your mother."

Eugene felt heavier than before, some sort of sickness in his throat.

He couldn't remember this woman at all.

He never got to meet his mother.

How was he meant to respond to her death?

The moonstone killed her.

What they'd been after all this time was a destructive, terrifying force.

But they'd known this all along.

So why was it hurting so badly?

He didn't know this man or the woman in the picture.

She gave her life for a baby that would never hear of her until decades passed.

He balled his knuckles in a tight fist.

"...24 years.",he grimaced.

Edmund narrowed his eyes.

Eugene squeezed his eyes shut, his muscles tensing.

"You had 24 years...to tell me this...to tell me anything...to help me at all!!!" ,he clenched his teeth, ending the bout with an outburst.

He whipped around to take his father on, shouting and throwing up his hands.

"Where were you when I was starving in the streets?!! Where was my father when I was freezing in the cold?!!! In jail with a gimp leg at twelve years old?!! Being in more debt than I could ever imagine at sixteen??! Did you even care?!! Did you even know?!!!"

Eugene slapped the other's comforting hand away, grabbing him by the collar and glaring into his eyes.

"Answer me, damnit!!",he grit his teeth, snarling as tears dared to streak down his face.

Eugene sniffled, snarling and trembling as he gripped him.

Edmund stared at him in wide eyed shock.

Eugene swung at him loosely, his father easily catching the blow.

He grunted, swinging again and again to the result, each punch being weaker and sloppier in execution.

He eventually gave in, clutching Edmund's cape and slinking down his body weakly as he cried.

"...Why..?...Why weren't you there for me??....Why didn't you want me anymore...?",he softly whimpered,"...I needed you. I needed you there for me so much..."

He sunk to his knees, clenching his fists as he gripped the stone ground.

Edmund knotted his brow, starting to bend down to meet him.

Eugene scoffed, wiping his eyes and nose in a single swipe of his hand.

"What the hell am I doing...? If you are my dad, you're horrible. I hate you. But you know what? You're probably not my father at all. Just some crazy man in a cave. Picking the wrong guy to mess with."

He glared up at him from the floor.

"I won't let you stop Rapunzel. I'll kill you if you even touch her."

Edmund thinned his lips.

"Son-"

Eugene quickly interrupted him.

"Shut up! Don't call me that!!...My father isn't here. You can't take that from me!",he tore out his dagger, threatening him with it.

"Horace, you don't understand. We are family. But I couldn't risk contacting you or bringing you here. The dark kingdom is no place for a child."

Eugene rolled his eyes, "And an orphanage is?? Do you know what goes on in Podunk orphanages?? A whole lotta nothing! Nothing at all! Not enough food! Not enough clothes! No entertainment! Clawing to get adopted by some hopeful family out there! But nooooo not Eugene! Horrible name, never adopted! People like you are the reason orphanages are filled with future thieves that have nothing to their names and turn to crime just to get by!"

He heaved his breast, tears still staining his cheeks.

"...Why am I pouring my guts out to a total stranger..?!",he clutched his head, sweeping back his hair fretfully.

Edmund knelt down fully, offering a hand to the other.

"..Because you trust me deep down. Your eyes give you away.", his concern illuminated his features," Part of you wants to believe me. There's a glimmer of hope. You're of my bloodline. You know deep within that you must claim your birthright."

Eugene sniffled, wiping his face again, still gripping the dagger.

"...I hate you if you are my father." he clenched his teeth,"...But I'll listen for now. I don't have much of a choice."

Edmund helped him to his feet, pulling him into a tight embrace.

Surprisingly, Eugene accepted the hug, grasping around his torso and sniffling in his chest.

Edmund sighed, clutching him tighter.

"I've missed you for so long. Believe me, I love you with every ounce of my being. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I could only watch you get stronger and wait for you to return to me someday. I was afraid that you or anyone you came with would suffer a mortal fate to the moonstone again."

His son's crying grew silent as he buried his face in his father's cape.

Eugene looked up at him, eyes red but determined.

"Will the Moonstone hurt the Sundrop?",he asked firmly.

"It's not clear what will happen. If you're referring to your friend it's likely she'll be overtaken by its alluring power, or killed in its destructive wake.", Edmund gripped his son by the shoulders.

"...How do I save Rapunzel?",Eugene spoke after pausing in thought.


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is the hall of ancients?",Rapunzel looked all around herself at the formidable statues of men and women alike.

Their height reached the ceiling rafters, shrouding the room in a greater shadow than the rest of the forgotten castle.

Cass stayed close beside her, sword at the ready.

"...Where's Eugene?",she shifted her eyes carefully around the room.

Rapunzel gripped her dress tightly.

She bit her lip with worry.

"Raps, he betrayed us, he has to be around here somewhere."

Rapunzel took a shaky breath, letting her hair loose from its heavy braid.

"Wherever he is, we'll be ready for him. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding."

Pascal stood hiked on her shoulder, arched and alert.

Rapunzel sighed, wrapping her hair around her open palm a bit halfheartedly.

"...Eugene? King?...We don't want to fight you!"

The group waited in silence for a moment.

Lance frowned, "Being honest here, I didn't really think that was gonna work either."

Adira narrowed her eyes and stepped to the front of the pack.

She took a slow breath.

"....They're here. I know it."

She looked back at Rapunzel.

"Stay behind me and get to the moonstone opal. You'll be the first they'd target in an ambush."

Cass scoffed, bringing up her blade,"This is Eugene we're talking about. I doubt he'd swing at Raps. The other guy is an easy tell though."

Rapunzel mimicked Adira's breath and motioned the group forward.

"Cass and I will tear through that rubble to get to the moonstone. Lance, you and Adira keep them off our backs." she commanded.

Her hair lit bright amber and rose above her head like a stream.

She stopped in awe of herself for a moment.

The moonstone was right through that exit.

Black rocks speared through the castle floor to point her to the stone, rising up to create a pathway in place of the fallen bridge.

She frowned at the place where the bridge had fallen before.

Luckily the rocks were determined in guiding her path there.

Before she took a step forward, Cass leapt in front of her, brandishing her blade.

"There he is!!!",she threw out a dagger, making Raps nearly scream.

"Eugene!!"

He had taken a running start down the newly formed bridge, barely missing Cassandra's knife in the process.

He'd been waiting there clearly for her to make the bridge rise again.

Rapunzel grunted, throwing out her hair in a fast attempt to grab him mid-race.

She latched around his left wrist, yanking him off-center and nearly careening off the path.

She shrieked, jerking him hard to correct his momentum.

He yelped, being forced back by a flimsy wrist.

"Eugene!! Please listen to me!!",she called out," It doesn't have to be like this! We're in this together!"

He grimaced, working on untying her knot.

"It's not like that, Blondie! I'm trying to save your life!"

She widened her eyes.

"Eugene, I don't trust that warning! This is my destiny! I won't die here!!"

He ripped his hand free from her, wincing and taking off again," I won't take that chance!! You're too important!"

Rapunzel bit her lip, desperate to find something to coax him back with.

Cass shoved her behind, charging him with her sword raised.

Her princess gasped, trying to chase after Cass in an effort to stop the animosity.

"It's gonna kill her, Cass!! The moonstone can kill Rapunzel!" he shouted, nearly falling back in fright as he drew his sword.

He'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but Cass was a scary woman when she charged you with a sword in hand.

"This is her destiny, Fitzherbert! I'm sworn to protect the princess no matter what happens!", she barked back, striking her sword down hard against his quickly drawn blade, "You're in the way of my destiny too!"

He grunted, retreating back as he parried another blow.

Cass closed in on him, barring the walkway with her shape.

Her head-on strategy forced him to distance himself, and with nowhere to go but backwards, a retreat was becoming his only option.

His brow strained as his eyes flickered around them.

"Cass, you need to back off or we're both going over the edge of this thing together."

She grit her teeth.

"Save the talk for your surrender! We both know the only way I'd fall is if you pushed me off yourself! You, on the other hand, are running out of road." her eyes flared with the thrill of battle, "So what is it then, Fitzherbert? You're about to make a big mistake."

Cass swung again, striding forward.

Her blade was shockingly sturdy in her left hand, as if to put pressure off of her right.

Eugene focused overhead, sweat thick down his back.

He bat a hard twist at Cass's sword, throwing both of their balances off kilter.

He grabbed her right hand, using the momentum to tear her from the walkway and around him in a full rotation.

Cass was stunned in pain, shrieking as he strangled her hand in his momentary grip.

He let go, the weight of her armor slamming and skidding her a few feet away from him across the walkway.

During the hurling motion, his weapon hand speared a break in debris at the ceiling of the room, the rotation giving this throw enough force to send debris crashing down like a barrier between Cass and him.

The motion forced him likewise to the floor, having to drop to his knees and slam his hands to the ground to prevent slipping off. 

He cried out, the arm he threw Cass with tensing hard like a knife.

Her armor weight had been more than he was ready for, especially with one hand.

Eugene tenderly held his torn shoulder, panting to catch his breath.

Cass clutched her hand, glaring weakly at the wall between them.

Both held their injuries tightly, attempting to hush their pained whining.

"...You messed up big time, buddy." ,she glared, "You've got nothing to fight with, and I know you didn't just get to throw me without a torn muscle or two. Cheap plan."

He heaved, massaging his sore triceps.

"Well it worked...so maybe it wasn't a cheap plan.", he clenched his fist and shook out his fingers to settle his adrenaline.

"Cass!!"

He stilled at Rapunzel's voice from over the barrier, the length of her golden hair flowing like a pillar of light above her head, cresting over the peak of the debris.

"Don't bother with me, get Adira and Lance over here to guard our flank!", Cass barked, the loud rattle of her armor revealing her motion to him, "If I can't clear this pathway we'll need her sword to do it!"

Rapunzel's brow knit in worry as she anxiously glanced over her friends and the situation.

"C..Cass, please don't hurt Eugene.", she swallowed hard.

Cass ignored her loving touch, throwing her shoulder a bit to make sure she was getting up completely on her own.

"I'm not gonna kill him, Raps. I need to focus on the flow of combat.", Cass sheathed her blade, ignoring Rapunzel's assistance again to start kicking at the rocks that had piled in the barrier,"He thinks he can outwit me, but he's a trapped rat."

She grunted, kicking hard before removing her saber again.

She bat the pommel against cracks in the rocks, making a slow but steady effort to clear the pathway without damaging the blade itself.

"Isn't it too much to have Lance and Adira face him too? Us all closing in could make him fall! He might get scared and panic or-"

Cass shot a glance back at Raps to shut her up, her brow gravely serious.

"It's tactics, Raps. Like covering a flame with a blanket. We corner him in big numbers and he'll be forced to give in. That or he jumps off a cliff. The guy isn't stupid, he'll quit when he knows he can't win.", she scolded

Rapunzel threw her hands out in distress, "-And what if the blanket catches on fire?! You don't know what he's willing to do if he thinks it'll save me!!"

She heaved, her eyes already red with grief.

Cass froze, her heart softening a bit at her friend's vulnerability.

She stared at her blade and sighed, standing up and hugging Rapunzel.

She stroked her back and pat it softly, but withdrew without allowing for too much comfort.

"You know him more than I do, and...I know you're scared right now. I'm reeling from it too, but you gotta trust me. I know how to keep you safe. To keep all of you safe. You're my charges."

She gripped the princess by the hand, squeezing it firmly.

"And you're also my friends."

Rapunzel lit up from the gesture, but her eyes still hung heavy with worry.

Her plump lip drooped in an unsatisfying curl, fretful and feeling betrayed marked her features.

"You go get them, Cass. Let me stay with him.", she ordered.

Cass gawked for a moment.

"No, Raps. You need to go, we don't have time to argue.", she chastised her, "If he's really been brainwashed by that king guy, then I'm sure he knows the only way to get the moonstone is if you touch the container. Leaving you here alone is reckless."

Rapunzel bit her lip in frustration, but she obeyed and turned to go.

Eugene leaned off the barrier, trying to think of something based on what he'd overheard.

If they really grouped up at the back, Cass was right.

He had no escape route.

He had nothing to defend himself with either, and apparently Rapunzel was the only thing that could free the moonstone from its rocky prison.

He narrowed his brow, sweat building up at his forehead and neck.

His father...or as he'd decided to believe, was still working on Lance and Adira right now.

He'd told him that his ancestors would arise to guard the moonstone's cavern from intruders, so whatever that meant was likely in progress too.

Was his bloodline fated to live and die in this castle?

The idea of leaving the moonstone here and rotting away as one tried their entire life to protect it sounded like an awful existence.

Sure he'd never been locked in a tower before, but being trapped in a castle forever due to an oath was an abysmal way to spend your days.

He didn't ask for this destiny at all.

He didn't ask for this family history.

But he was still himself.

Eugene was still an independent person compared to whoever the prince of darkness he was meant to be was.

Being Flynn Rider and embracing himself was his own choice.

No birthright or bloodline tying him to anything in this world.

Hell, the world had actively tried to force him out of it with how hard off he was at first.

So, no. He wasn't going to join this practical stranger in an empty life of guarding this castle.

If his supposed father had gotten ambushed by the likes of them, what was the point of this fortress guarding anyways? 

This stationary prison wouldn't keep the moonstone from anyone.

Nothing was stopping Rapunzel from taking it.

Nothing was stopping another massacre, or explosion, or whatever the hell else these damn rocks decided to do.

No more lost mothers.

No more orphans.

He'd protect the one he loved. He wasn't going to sit around like his father.

This was an infiltration essentially. His style of handling things.

Grab the stone and get as far away as possible.

Just keep running and eventually she'd give up chasing him.

He was willing to sacrifice being with her if it meant she stayed alive.

Life on the run wasn't unfamiliar to him anyways.

He could cover his tracks, avoid guards, forage, fend off beasts, you name it.

And Adira had given him her map for the forest of no return if he ever was swept up into that mirage.

He'd accepted that he was no one now.

He'd just disappear.

He couldn't go hide the stone and return, it was his responsibility.

He had to make sure nothing would come of this meeting the sundrop's magic, or any person for that matter.

It was dour to think that his last moments with her were actively betraying her, but now he understood what Demanitus meant.

He had to have faith.

He had to have faith in Rapunzel to rule as queen without him by her side.

He had to have faith that she would eventually find happiness without him.

He had to have faith that he would never falter and come back to her.

He couldn't risk putting her in mortal danger.

Eugene grimaced, uncoiling his sheath strap to tie around his shoulder, tightening enough to tug at the torn muscle in his arm.

He stifled a swear, huffing softly.

Rapunzel...

He heard Adira shout as a loud break rang out.

The barrier started to topple down.

He glanced up at his sword, still lodged in the ceiling of the room.

Eugene stood up, slowly stepping back to be beside the moonstone's prison.

He blew out air, pursing his lips.

His hand shook.

But he was ready.

The barrier fell apart completely, forcing him to face the entire group.

Brown eyes shaking at a sea of expressions.

His company.

The only friends in his life now.

The people he was trying to stop.

...That didn't make them any less his friends, no matter how much his heart hurt.

Adira glared at him, lowering her blade.

"King Edmund has poisoned your mind, Fishskin. He is stuck in his ways. Rapunzel is our future!"

Cass strode up beside her, jabbing her sword to threaten him.

"Stand down, Eugene! You don't wanna do this! I don't want to!"

Rapunzel whimpered, her green eyes like a misty sea," Eugene! Trust me! I love you!"

Those eyes...

Eugene slumped after a moment, shadowing his face.

"You're right. I shouldn't be scared for you. I should be able to take that chance.", he grimaced,"...I can't risk losing the people I love."

He cast a vulnerable look to the group.

"...We've faced worse before. We shouldn't have anything left to drag us down. I won't stop the woman I love from living her dreams."

The strongest lies had segments of truth within them.

Lying came too easy.

It always did.

But lying to all of them now...

Was that too easy?

He found it too distressing to look at Rapunzel.

Meeting eyes with her made him choke.

Her worried eyes and accepting smile made him suffocate.

"Eugene!", she wiped her tears away, running up to meet him.

He smiled, engaging in her embrace as she sniffled into his chest.

He took in her scent, arms strong around her soft shape.

She buried her face into him, her breath familiar and warm.

He swayed her lightly in a comforting stroke, moving her so that her arm grazed the prison, receding the black cage away.

To keep her focus, he leaned down and kissed her.

Her lips...

Her skin...

Her soft breaths...

He wouldn't be able to feel any of those anymore.

He wouldn't be able to marry her.

He wouldn't be able to raise a family with her like he'd wanted.

He wouldn't be able to spend his life with her, kissing and holding and supporting her in all ways...

His life meant nothing now.

But it would free hers.

She'd survive.

This train of thought was familiar to him.

He'd had it in his last moments.

Lying in her arms, vest dripping with blood.

Holding her cheek.

Feeling himself give up the ghost.

That coldness.

But he was satisfied.

He'd been satisfied ever since.

Why was it so hard to keep his internal composure now?

Was it because he had a second chance?

Was it because he wasn't dying?

No, no.

He needed to focus.

It didn't matter what he felt now.

She was what mattered.

She was right.

He would do anything to save her.

And he'd tricked her in their last moments together.

He gently pulled off of the kiss, smiling at her.

She leaned back into his chest, humming peacefully.

"I knew you'd understand.", she smiled, "I'm scared too. But we'll get through this. We can do anything as long as we do it together. That's what you told me."

She looked up at him as she caressed his cheek.

Her eyes widened with concern.

"Eugene...you're..crying."

He kept a bittersweet smile.

"...I'm so sorry, Blondie.", Eugene frowned, his voice soft.

He shoved her to the side and grabbed the stone.

That moment changed everything.

The stone shone brightly, rumbling and crackling with light.

The force of it moving almost tore it from his hands.

He grimaced, clenching both hands over it to try to contain its power.

If this thing reacted poorly, it could cause an explosion.

Barely a second outside of its prison and the stone was already about to kill them.

Eugene grit his teeth, the force becoming stronger and stronger.

Everyone stared in horror and awe as brilliant blue lightning tore from the stone in his grip, shooting out around and terraforming the land below them into a whirlwind of knifelike spires.

Eugene shot a tense glance to Rapunzel and the rest of the group.

She stared at him, so innocent and hurt by his actions.

He'd have to have a new plan.

This stone was likely to burst and kill everyone in a few seconds.

He crushed the stone in an iron grip over his heart.

He'd try to weaken the blast with himself as a buffer.

As long as everyone else survived then the plan would be a success, no running away even required.

He had no regrets.

His love was going to live to fight another day.

As it was two years ago.

That birthday at the tower.

Eugene cried out in pain, the stone seeming to meld itself to his very skin, wedging itself to lodge in him like some sort of protrusion.

It burned, an invasive and wild feeling as the stone bound itself to his heart, clawing into his body.

The light burst around him in a fluorescent shower, blinding everyone in the room.

His eyes shot open, frightened at what on earth was happening.

Thousands of small rocks poured out of the stone, shooting up and barring his skin as it seared his garments.

The rocks solidified into a second skin, practically sewn onto him, welded to his flesh.

He panted harshly, the power surging and racking his body with fatigue.

He felt dizzy and weak, but then suddenly fueled with strength.

His blood felt boiling hot, his adrenaline shooting to its peak in a mere moment.

He heaved, trying to feel over himself.

The armor was skintight and solid, but somehow breathable and agile.

Rocks shot up around his feet, frightening him more.

The light ceased, revealing him to the betrayed.

Rapunzel stared with her mouth open.

"...Eugene...Your..."

He grimaced, whipping around to bolt towards the exit.

Cass charged at him, swinging, "Oh no you don't!!"

Adira moved to block the exit, Lance having to steel himself a bit to follow.

His eyes were locked on Eugene, staring like he was some sort of monster or miracle.

Eugene glared at Cass in frustration as he ran towards her, still unarmed.

"Get away from me, Cass!", he warned.

She roared, slamming her sword down to meet him.

A rock tore up from the ground, blocking her strike to snap the blade.

He and Cass locked eyes in shock.

His heart pounded.

Another rock slammed her side, sending her crashing into the further edge of the platform.

She winced, lying weakly as she tried to raise herself back up.

"I-I'm sorry!!", he blurted, horrified at whatever forced the energy from him.

He didn't mean to hit her, he didn't mean to even block the sword at all.

Eugene dove past Adira and Lance, having to dive through an opening over their shoulders.

His momentum served him well in the maneuver, luckily.

He hit the ground in a handspring, shifting into a tuck roll before palm vaulting to his feet again.

The flurry of motion was familiar to him, but he felt surprisingly light in this armor, as if he was wearing nothing at all.

It was strange, feeling the ease of burden that bareness carried while being covered completely by a foreign sheath.

The black rock armor brought a claustrophobic feeling when he thought about it that way.

When he felt his hands should hit the floor he only felt cool stone slick against his palms.

Wiping his brow brought no feeling of glove or skin, instead this cold stone persisted, a permanent, new flesh.

His heart pounded loudly in his ears, yet he felt hyper alert.

What the hell was this moonstone doing?!

Eugene glanced over his shoulder at a blur of motion in his peripherals.

A dagger crashed into his shoulder, shattering to pieces.

Cass.

He gaped momentarily at how he hadn't felt the blade make contact at all, but dwelling on it brought back the claustrophobic feeling.

So whatever this armor covered was impenetrable?

That was a relief, especially considering he'd be having to survive in the wild if he kept running from them.

Fending off thieves or animals would be a snap with this.

"Fishskin, stop this at once!!"

He tried to shove away his guilt for betraying his friends.

"Fitzherbert!!"

Cass again.

He narrowed his gaze, trying to stop thinking about her.

"Give me that!", Cass shouted angrily.

"Shorthair, no-!",Adira grunted.

Eugene tensed a bit to hear better.

No matter.

He was fine no matter how many daggers she-

His body was completely thrown forward by the great-sword impaling his left shoulder.

His left side lurched forward, twisting his right as he was speared to the wall like a beast.

He was completely silent in shock as it passed through, hooking him and forcing him to slam into the stone doorway.

He heaved, his vision completely red for a moment as his senses hurtled back to him in this state.

The pain, the sword, his bones, his tissue, his blood...

He screamed, sinking against the wall in agony.

Color spotted his sight as he panicked.

The sword.

Why the hell did Cass throw the sword?

Was his shoulder split in half?

Why the fuck wasn't he prepared for this?

He heard Rapunzel wailing, her scream loud and frightened like his.

A crowd of footsteps raced towards him.

Cass meant to stop him.

She'd have speared his stomach if she was trying to kill him.

....Maybe her aim was off.

He dismissed the thought to the best of his ability, desperate to escape with his life.

He was a trapped rat.

More like a rat in a fire now.

He pressed his foot into the wall for leverage as he attempted to yank the sword free.

Leaving a weapon in was always better when dealing with blood loss, but his options were limited.

Tearing it out of his shoulder was his only choice if he wanted to escape alone.

He ripped the weapon free, shouting as he moved.

Blood splattered from removing the plunged blade, red froth now gushing down the sides of his arm.

Rocks split the earth behind him in a raging tidal wave, a great splash at the moment he'd been speared, but towering fiercer now that he'd torn the weapon out.

He whipped around, slamming the heavy blade into the floor to keep himself steady.

"Eugene!!",Rapunzel wept openly, being forced behind by Cass's shaking hands.

She heaved in her armor, clutching herself from what was likely a torn ligament.

It had taken nearly all she had to throw that sword.

Her eyes seemed cloudy with emotion, her grimace helping paint guilt from her actions.

She would be a damn good guard if she was this persistent.

"Cass, what the hell-?!!",Lance shot her a fearful, dirty glare, sword lowered.

"Just grab him already! He's gonna die if we don't take him down and patch him up!", she panted.

"Yeah! If you didn't kill him already!", He snapped.

Adira threw herself in front of the group, shielding them from the sudden onslaught of rock spires.

"Earring! Quit squabbling with Shorthair! Rapunzel! Come with me!"

She ran forward, dragging a panicked Rapunzel along with her.

Cass winced, pulling herself together to chase after the group as Lance followed suit.

Eugene steadied himself, trying to rip his clothes for a quick bandage.

Nothing tore, the texture still solid like armor.

He grimaced, trying to keep his left arm from tensing.

The rock waves continued to shoot out from him at a radius around his feet, building a spiked barrier between him and the group greater and greater in size.

Was it his blood?

His panic?

The rocks struck Cass earlier when he was frightened, so was that the key to controlling it?

What defined his panic?

The anger? The fear?

The adrenaline?

Unfortunately he didn't have much time to ponder this over.

They would be gaining on him soon, and here he was, exhausted and gushing blood.

His shoulder felt heavy for a moment, making his heart race.

The rock armor welded to him seemed to physically churn like an angry sea across his skin, the angriest wave being at his shoulder.

Eugene sheathed the sword quickly, an armored sheath quickly forming at his back as he made a run for it.

With his right hand freed up, he clutched his shoulder tightly, panting.

The skin around his shoulder seemed to painfully constrict him before turning numb instead.

Was it bandaging him?

He slapped himself awake with a bloodied hand, sweating hard as the rocks seemed to spark a path behind him.

Whatever the moonstone was doing, it was at least listening to him.

Was it acting to protect him?

Acting in his best interest maybe?

Perhaps it was wild like a horse, just acting on stimulus in untamed directions.

Whatever it was, he at least had to try to gain headway in the chase.

He tried to focus, throwing out his hand to face a pillar.

A flurry of rocks slammed into the structure, crashing it back behind him.

He stared over himself with almost a childlike wonder.

The rocks were unorthodox and scattered but they were listening to him.

He threw out his hand again, clawing upwards.

A scattered cluster of rocks shot up in his wake.

He grinned, repeating the motion with one hand after another, developing a rhythm of sorts.

The rocks muddied the terrain behind him, which likely added leagues to his side in the manhunt.

It felt...good to do this.

His original horror was slowly being met with a thrill-seeking joy he'd remembered.

Freedom.

It felt freeing to run like this.

Throwing rocks around felt like splashing through a river, the impish sort of awe that came from slamming your hands flat against the water and seeing what happened.

Giving chase like this was like stealing a horse.

This sort of mad dash was such a familiar thrill with the rocks fueling him.

Outrunning guardsmen was a sinful sort of fun that he desperately missed.

Rocks here, rocks there...

His new power was a sense of authority he'd been dying to get back.

Identity.

His identity of being great at this.

Great at running.

Great at tricking people around him.

Great at causing a scene.

The Flynn Rider kind of great.

He felt like a kid again.

Being without magic your entire life and suddenly acquiring it did certain things to a man.

He threw his hands in front of him, the spires forming a ramp to leap off of.

He charged the abyss below, laughing as pillars grew to meet his landing.

Each leap was met with more rocks to catch him, almost making his movement like a dance.

This was playful, exciting, fun...

Perhaps his head was light from endorphins and blood loss.

He leapt down to another platform, throwing out his hand to bust the door down.

His smile dropped as nothing happened.

He tried again.

Nothing.

"...What...?",his brow curled, his voice soft in this throat.

Why wasn't it working?

Was he not able to control it?

Was he even controlling it before?

Were those all coincidental? Happenstance?

No, no, no...

The free feeling was practically yanked out from under him, leaving him confused and anxious once more.

"Eugene!!"

His mind shot back to the gravity of the situation.

He wasn't just running.

He was running from them.

His friends.

From her.

His love.

Rapunzel.

He felt clammy and sick, rocks shooting randomly around his feet.

Why had his senses been so dulled?

Why had he forgotten the weight of his duty to her here?

Was the moonstone seducing him, like his father said it would?

Had it sensed his horror, then filled him with playful thrills instead to be appealing?

Was it that in control of its host?

He clutched the stone against his chest.

This thing was a danger to everyone around it.

It hurt people, even if it made the ones who used it feel strong.

He just had to focus and leave.

"Horace! What do you think you're doing?!"

Eugene backed away from his father, glaring.

"Get out of my way.", he ordered.

Edmund grit his teeth in a snarl.

"You were to stand guard and protect the stone from Rapunzel! Not pilfer it for yourself and run!"

Eugene chewed his lip tensely.

He'd lied a lot today, hadn't he.

"You don't understand. I didn't mean to use it at first it just sort of-",he shook his head,"-that's not important. Look, I'm trying to save Rapunzel here and I need you to let me leave. I'm not gonna destroy the world or anything, just let me get out of here and you'll never see me again. I swear."

Edmund sharpened his brow.

"You can't control that thing! That stone will be the death of all of us! We'll have to seal it away again and you can drag your friends out of here!", he shouted.

"I don't care about the legacy!! I just want to keep her safe!!",Eugene snapped,"She's the only thing that matters to me! I don't want to stay here forever!! Let me go already!"

Edmund put away his axe, but still stood in the doorway.

"I won't fight my son.", he glowered.

"Then don't.", Eugene stepped forward.

They glared silently in a stalemate for a few seconds before either of them acted.

Eugene tried to dive over him like he'd previously maneuvered, but Edmund caught his leg, slamming him down on the floor below.

Eugene grimaced, whipping back up again to be grabbed by the face and hurled down a nearby staircase.

Rocks burst forth to halt his descent after tumbling nearly halfway down the staircase.

He wavered, shakily pushing himself to his feet again.

"It really feels like you're fighting me.", Eugene curtly shot.

Edmund rolled his shoulder.

"I'm keeping you from leaving this castle. That means I might have to rough you up a bit."

Eugene groaned, standing up.

"No more on the face if you could manage. It's pretty important to me. Back of the head I can do, but my looks are all I've got.", he smarted, unsheathing the great-sword.

"Such hubris! Let's keep that ego in check, shall we?", Edmund's nostrils flared as he steadied himself like a bull.

Eugene raced up the staircase, having to grip the sword with both hands to swing it.

Damn this thing was heavy.

He threw out the blade, his strike being met by a buckler covering his father's arm.

His eyes glanced upwards.

"I'm not aiming to fight you, Horace. But if you strike me, I'll take you down."

Eugene grit his teeth, jerking back the sword before striking again at his torso.

The buckler blocked again, clearly starting to crack from the sharpness of the great-sword.

"So what, you're gonna kill me?", Eugene grimaced, trying to leverage his weight on the sword as much as possible.

His father sharpened his glare," Don't worry, boy, you'll only be unconscious. What happens after we can talk about later."

Eugene ducked a swing of his father's arm, noticing him ignore a chance to grab his axe.

His duck was weighty with the sword in his hands.

He'd never fought with a sword this heavy before.

Two handed weapons weren't ideal for speed or ease so he'd never bothered trying to learn it.

Easy swords to disarm were rapiers, short-swords, and sabers.

Daggers were even simpler to come by, and a quick grab off of person to obtain, usually.

Sure he'd had to improvise before in a few scrapes and chases, but great-swords never came up in interest or circumstance.

If a guy had a bigger, heavier looking sword, that wasn't really the time to disarm if you wanted to escape with your life.

He'd hardly encountered axes on the road either, so facing one was foreign and strange.

It's swing was hard to block due to the large blade with great strength behind each swing.

The great-sword seemed to work in the same way.

Eugene panted, not willing to cut this guy down, but too pressed for time to afford to stop swinging.

He was eating up his energy wasting time with Edmund.

Was that his plan..?

Each duck and dodge was tiring him, and swinging this sword was tiring him greater.

Through all this time Edmund refused to pull out a weapon.

Was this a pride thing? Or was he afraid to cut him?

Did he know about the armor and didn't want to shatter his weapons?

Either way, he didn't have time for this, and his friends were close behind.

The fact that he had heard Rapunzel earlier alerted him that they were hot on his heels at this point.

He didn't have time to waste trying to push an immovable wall.

....Well. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object it makes a stalemate, or at least that's how he remembered the saying going.

So the answer was that he needed a new plan.

He growled, slamming the sword into the ground, black rocks shooting up from the blade to spear into the wall, breaking open a doorway and providing a slick road to do it.

"I don't have time for this!"

He raced up the spire pathway adjacent to his father, relishing in the tempting nature of the rocks simply for following through with his plan.

They'd likely stop working again like before but to hell with it.

He could figure these things out later.

Right now was for running.

"Horace!! Don't you dare run away from me!", his father roared.

"It's Eugene and will you give it a rest?! I'm helping you right now! I'm helping everyone!!",he called back, sticking his landing and sheathing his sword once more.

His body was tired, but he couldn't listen to it right now.

They'd catch him if he did.

He just needed to put it into high gear already.

Make himself push as hard as he could.

This couldn't be his best, his couldn't be this weak.

He felt an odd shiver as his armor seemed to shift around his feet, shaping the sole thicker to his heel print.

His sweat glistened in the moonlight as it trickled down his forehead.

He pushed his bangs out of his face, feeling no part of his hair's texture.

Of course he was sweating so much now, he'd been running nonstop.

His armor shifted, a cool breeze sifting through small chinks and openings that were too insignificant to see.

Eugene grunted, throwing his hands up as he shivered, cold sticking to the droplets along his skin in a sped up ventilation.

"Stop doing that! It's creepy! I get you're trying to help me but clothes aren't supposed to-",he smacked his forehead,"-are you even cognizant enough to hear me? Do you just respond to stimulus? Can I even talk to you? Ugh! Never mind, I'm just going crazy if I'm talking to clothing! Listen, it's very creepy when your armor changes to your every whim like a living breathing person. Got it??"

He stared down at himself before pouting.

"What the hell am I doing? Whatever, moonstone-or whatever your name is, if you even have a name-, just keep doing what you can to distance Rapunzel and I. I'm tired, bloody, and frankly running out of steam, so if you could help right about now that would be great."

He slid around a corner, catching himself with his fingertips.

"...Moonstone?"

He tapped it lightly, wincing at the sudden surge of electricity that shot through him.

He sunk to his knees, panting and holding himself.

He groaned, shaking his head.

That would be a good note to self.

Don't do stupid things out of impatient curiosity.

Eugene slowly rose to his feet after composing himself, being careful not to touch the moonstone again.

The chasm separating the Dark Kingdom from the rest of the world was approaching.

Perfect.

He clutched his numb left arm for a moment.

Could the stone understand his words too?

Or was it only his impulses?

Something thick snapped around his ankle, a familiar weight he instantly recognized.

Oh no...

"Eugene!", Rapunzel called out to him, her hands firmly gripping her hair, "Please! Don't run from me! Let me help you!"

He grimaced, jerking his leg up to try to untie her hair from himself.

She dug her heels into the ground at the sudden motion, yanking backwards.

Eugene caught himself shortly, the force of her bonds almost knocking him over.

"Rapunzel, I can't!", he loosened the noose on his foot, being jerked back again as she caught both his wrists.

"Eugene, I love you!!",she wept, tears soaking her pretty face.

Her sadness glistened in the moonlight.

She was breathtaking....

...But heart wrenching to leave behind.

He hesitated, his tongue caught in his throat at her presence.

Wanting to kiss her.

Wanting to hold her close.

Wanting to apologize for lying.

Wanting to nuzzle against her tender forehead...

He swallowed hard, wincing.

"I love you too! That's why I'm doing this!", he teared up as well, his heart in his throat, "Please just let me do this for you!"

Rapunzel grit her teeth in a whine.

"You can't keep doing this! Why do you always think you can take the blame for everything onto yourself? Let me help you carry a burden! I don't need a protector! I don't need a martyr! Just be my friend! Be the love of my life who would never leave me behind, because he'd know how much that would hurt me! I'm not a child! Let me sacrifice something if we have to, you've done enough! I can take it!"

He stepped forward, brow taut.

"Rapunzel, you don't deserve to suffer for anything, and both of us living is better than one of us dying and leaving everyone behind. I have to do this. You know we have to make tough decisions to survive. I want to keep you and Corona safe!"

She whimpered, pulling him by the hands towards her, her grip fierce on the blonde ropes of hair.

"I want answers about myself! I want to know my destiny! I want to know about my hair and what I'm meant to be doing with my life! I've been waiting for a purpose for eighteen years!"

He bit his tongue, wincing at the injuries both his arms had sustained being tugged along to Rapunzel's side, having to urge his weight and heels into the cliff edge to fight back against being dragged.

He panted,"Is it worth dying to know those answers?"

She froze, her grip slacking for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

"That's not guaranteed to happen!", she chewed her lip anxiously.

"Blondie, I know you want the world for yourself, and I want to give it to you. I would if I could, but you have to understand that sometimes the answers aren't worth it! In fact, everything I learned today has officially ruined my life! But now I have a purpose! Do you understand?? You still have the freedom to live your own life! Break the rules! No consequences of doing whatever your heart desires!", he pleaded with her, eyes a bright, electric blue.

His brow softened as he further grimaced.

"Forget about me! Go live your dreams! I won't stand in your way!"

Her eyes were sharp with hurt, sad tears painting her face a sparkling white in the moonlight.

She was stunned by his words in every sense.

"You are my dream!!",she shouted, "-And you said I was yours!!"

Her hair glowed a bright yellow in the light, coating them in a faint golden hue.

"We can't live our dreams if we're not together!!"

She softly yanked the hair chains, clearly racked with emotion.

He dug his heels firmer and tried to retreat.

"I am living my dream, Rapunzel!", he shouted back.

"LIAR!!",she jerked hard on his chains, her eyes soft and red.

Eugene stumbled towards her, setting himself on balance to stop his movement.

Her shoulders shook as she hiccupped, face drenched in tears.

"Liar...you're such a liar...",she whispered, voice trembling.

"Please...Eugene..."

She sniffled.

"Don't leave me..."

His heart felt strangled in his chest.

He wanted to hold her and pet her cheek.

To stroke her hair and kiss her forehead.

To wipe all her tears away and kiss her gentle eyelids and lashes.

To whisper sweet reconciliation and reassurance.

To kiss her lips and never let go.

But he couldn't.

He wanted to.

He couldn't stand seeing her like this.

He felt like a monster.

But he knew what he was doing for her.

Seeing her dead would make him lose all emotion, all purpose, all..anything.

People needed her.

She was too precious to die or be locked away somewhere.

He'd already had enough scares about her wellbeing back at Corona with this hair and Varian...

His mind flashed to catching her frail fainting body, her shape so small and feeble in his arms despite being the most powerful thing he'd ever seen.

She couldn't handle channeling that much power, she'd broken.

She felt so weak and small in that moment, like a precious flower petal.

She wouldn't respond to her name, his touch, his voice...

He'd felt so incredibly hopeless and terrified in a manner of seconds.

The gentle kiss she'd given to reassure him she was alive was something that completely blind-sided him.

His eyes were wide and wet with surprise, a terrified fool before her gentle smile.

She was exhausted, he knew, and she knew he knew.

But she wanted to make sure he knew she was okay, so he would be okay.

He didn't need to fret or cry, or scream or weep...

He could just hold her and carry her home, and that was enough.

It had honestly worried him how quickly after she was ready to abandon home to go on an adventure to who knows where.

And here they were now.

Her crying and distraught, and he was unable to do anything about it, instead actively causing it.

Was it worth it?

Were the answers worth it?

In a way, they could have been.

Now that he controlled the rocks they wouldn't attack Corona.

But Rapunzel did not need to learn anything about the Moonstone further since he had taken it.

He was meant to leave her be and escape into the wilds, guaranteeing her a long life.

She'd have to eventually find happiness, right?

Someone else to sweep her off her feet?

His heart burned at the very thought of it.

No. He had to give all of that up.

This was his destiny.

His purpose.

His dream may have been Rapunzel herself, but just keeping her alive and granting her a chance at really experiencing life was all he needed.

Hell, he was willing to die just knowing she had the chance to make a life for herself with nothing chaining her down.

Why was that so hard now?

Why?

He looked at her fretfully.

"You'll...find..someone..else.", he choked the words out slowly, trying to keep his composure.

Saying that single phrase ripped his heart out.

He felt physically ill.

His breath hiked.

Why couldn't he do the damn job?!

Why couldn't he just wish her the best and leave?!

He knew why.

He couldn't change why.

He loved her.

He loved her more than anything.

She was his world. His entire universe.

His sunshine.

She made everything bright and wonderful with a single breath.

She'd ignited a hope in his life.

She could spellbind him with only a look and urge him with a single phrase.

She could speak without talking and he understood every word.

His duty and life were hers.

He cared for Corona because she did.

He cared to stop crime to make her kingdom better.

She made him see who he really was inside, and helped him figure out his identity.

She was his muse.

An angel.

A goddess.

His adorable, sensitive, perfect Blondie with the cutest smile you've ever seen.

His girlfriend.

His best friend.

His other half.

That was why it was so hard to leave her.

He'd had enough time to delusion himself that he could even be by her side.

Back then he knew it would never happen.

But he wanted it so badly.

He hadn't had the hundreds of kisses and hand grips and cuddles.

He hadn't had the long nights of just talking and flirting until the guards patrolled for curfew.

He hadn't had a year with her, he'd only had two days.

Two days was easier to die with than a year of pure love.

Damn everything about this Dark Kingdom.

Why the hell had no one done this until now for them? Run away with the stone to keep it safe?

That would require the sundrop and moonstone to meet.

So they must have been afraid.

Damn Adira then for risking his girlfriend's life on a secret whim.

His tongue felt heavy.

"Eugene...I won't. I will never stop looking for you, to love you. To be your friend.", she begged, "Please, stay here. I need you! You know I'll never stop looking!"

He blinked back tears, heels at the cliff edge.

"...I love you too, Blondie."

He stepped over the edge, dropping down into the chasm.

Rapunzel gasped, quickly running back to fight the weight of his descent against her hair chains.

She fell over, the ropes snapping slack.

She hoisted them as fast as she could, seeing the ends had been untied.

Her heart broke in two.

"EUGENE!!"

Her wails echoed throughout the canyon, draping the world in her sorrow.

Cass hurried to her side, dropping to one knee and holding her friend by the shoulder.

Rapunzel curled into a small ball over her knees, messily weeping.

She looked up at Cass, brokenhearted. 

"Listen, Raps-"

She squeaked as her princess crushed her in a tight embrace, crying all over her and cuddling for support.

Cass stilled her tongue and returned the squeeze, tenderly stroking her shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Eugene tiredly stepped off the rocks, sweat crisp on his face and neck.

It had taken a lot of energy to carry himself here.

His feet met dark, earthy soil, finally free of the barren kingdom.

He collapsed, heaving.

His muscles ached.

His feet were sore.

His heart was a mess and his head felt ready to burst.

He panted wetly against the dirt.

"You aren't really going to lay here, are you?"

He tensed against his fatigue,"...It crossed my mind, yeah."

The shrill voice scoffed,"And here I thought you were just licking your wounds. Foolish to rest now in the open, they'll be on you eventually and then you'll be forced to give it back."

He exhaled heavily, sweat dripping into the soil.

"No, I'm far enough away. I'm spent too. I can't keep running if I don't rest."

He pressed his forehead into the cool earth, his breath ragged.

"But while I'm up...I gotta ask. Who are you?"

The ghost girl knelt down beside him, too poised to rest in the dirt, but small enough to be close to his hunched form.

"You were wondering if the moonstone could hear you. Well it can. I'm the messenger."

He rolled his eyes, gripping the sword at his back weakly.

"Listen sweetheart, I'm not a big fan of ghosts. Especially the ones with fancy accents."

His sheath shimmered in the moonlight.

She smirked, crossing her legs.

"Come now, your majesty, that's no way to greet a servant."

He frowned,"...Servant?...So you're saying you're the moonstone?"

She nodded, bemused, "And you are bound by royal blood to the stone. I'm surprised at what else I could possibly be for such a skeptic prince."

He scoffed, "Zhan Tiri's creepy followers were all ghosts that tried to sweet talk us into resurrecting their leader. We took all of them out, so believe me, I'm ready for whatever freaky ritual or mirror you try to throw at me. And if it's any discouragement, I'm way too close minded for hypnosis. Nice try if you were thinking of it on the way here though."

She floated over to his other side, pulling out a small fan.

"Ghosts aren't knowledgeable about your history. Ask me anything about your past, my prince, and I shall answer."

He clawed tiredly at the dirt with one hand.

"...Fine then. Rapid fire answer. How old am I?"

She smiled, "Why ask a question you don't truly know yourself, your majesty?"

He paused, chewing his lip.

"...H..how did you-"

She chided him with a finger, clicking her tongue against her teeth.

"I'm a powerful spirit, my prince. Even your radiance could be deciphered with a bloodline and history."

He grimaced, hand reaching for his shoulder.

Still numb.

"Cassandra was the one that struck you, yes? It takes a lot to hurt a friend."

The girl perked up at his shift in demeanor, raising her fan and twirling close beside him.

"Or perhaps you feel differently about it? I know you both weren't very close. Your memories show her more...violent tendencies and general loathing towards you."

He raised his eyes at her tensely, studying her gaze skeptically.

"...You think Cassandra was trying to hurt me?"

The girl smirked, throwing her fan out as a flourish.

"Well I'm not the one who said it. I know this might be hard to bear for someone so robbed of his standing..."

He shook his head, shifting to face her more.

"No, hold on a second. I never said that. Why are you looking at my memories? Better question, how are you looking at my memories? Does the moonstone do that? Can I see other people's memories too?", he rolled slightly on his side, gripping his shoulder less tightly.

The girl held his cheek, smiling as she ran a cold hand down his jawline.

"An eager student will be rewarded with an eager teacher. You must be patient with your aid, as we need to escape your old friends, don't we? Wouldn't want Cassandra to stab you with something else, hm?"

He looked over his shoulder, slicking back his hair with sweat.

"But-"

She moaned dramatically, leaning over herself in a thespian style," Oh but I'm tired, my teacher! I've been running for ages and ages on end! And the rocks are so exhausting to work with! I'll surely faint! Is that what I'm hearing, your majesty?"

He shakily pushed himself to his feet, knees buckling and muscles aching.

She posed herself on his right shoulder, poking around to grip his chin and shake it lightly.

"You're absolutely wonderful, your majesty. I'm glad you know when you should listen. After all, I am the only one who knows how to deal with your frightening new powers."

His shoulders were slack with fatigue.

He stopped the retort on his tongue to focus his energy on making some more distance between himself and the group.

Even if this girl was a bit annoying.

Maybe more than a bit, but she was all he had at the moment, so he'd have to deal with it.

Rapunzel had always told him he needed to trust a little more and chin up when things seemed bleak.

Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

An annoying moonstone spirit was still a moonstone spirit.

If she could help him control the rocks better, that would guarantee complete freedom for the rest of the kingdom.

No more devastation and disasters, like what happened to Old Corona.

So he could stomach her strange teasing and odd remarks.

Eventually his legs threatened to give way, but luckily they'd reached a river's edge.

He half-smiled in relief, getting down on his stomach to drink.

"What are you doing? You still have some fight left in you. You can stop for water downstream.", she frowned.

"I need energy to set up camp and prepare. I'm not going until I'm dying in the dirt. I'm trying to stay inconspicuous anyways. Keeping low to the ground keeps me out of eye level.",he sipped the stream from cupped hands.

The girl moved beside him, hand stroking his back in a circular motion.

"I appreciate your outdoorsman experience, your majesty, but I'm afraid being inconspicuous might come as a bit of a chore to you in your current state.",she subtlety urged his head to tilt downwards.

His eyes widened.

"...H...hair....What happened to my hair?!", he gawked at his reflection, almost horrified.

Bright, bright, insanely bright blue was all he could see on his scalp.

Blue was not normal.

That dark umber brown was completely gone from his appearance.

His eyes weren't brown either.

An electric blue shone fiercely against the water's mirror, light and alert, almost glowing by the looks of it.

He was glowing.

Stunning.

But in the worst way possible.

He was no stranger to his appearance, he frequently groomed and pampered himself.

It had taken many, many years to fill into the man he wanted to look like.

This reflection was a total stranger.

It was...unnatural. Inhuman.

Rapunzel was radiant and beautiful with her tresses, and when they glowed they were stunning but...it was warm and lovely like a heavenly being.

Not cold and scary looking like this.

"I'm a freak..a total freak..!", he peeled his eyelids to better examine his irises.

How was he supposed to be stealthy at all like this?

Was his only option for outrunning Rapunzel really to just run away?

He looked like death anyways, dead tired and covered in sweat and dirt from laying on the ground.

He grit his teeth, frantically trying to work with his appearance.

Nothing.

No part of it was normal.

Just the scary blue glowing hair.

Which was not sitting well with the goatee for him.

Blue facial hair was certainly something he'd have to get used to.

"Is something the matter? I thought you ought to know that the moonstone changed you."

He jerked around, hands still running through his hair.

"Change me back! I can't-I don't want to look like this! I'm a monster!!",he cringed.

She gave him a reassuring look as she sat on his shoulder.

"I didn't realize that your looks were more important to you than saving Rapunzel. That is what you took the moonstone's power for, correct?"

He stopped messing with his face, his expression turning more somber and embarrassed.

He hadn't wanted to use the moonstone itself when he'd taken it. 

He just wanted to get it as far away from her as possible.

This armor....

This appearance...

The power to control the rocks...

He'd been forced into this for the sake of his efforts succeeding.

So no.

He'd get used to it.

This was just another thing he had to give up for her sake.

He couldn't hold on to any feelings towards this. Rapunzel was all that mattered.

She was the only thing that mattered anymore.

Protecting her.

Keeping himself away from her.

Letting her be free.

Stalyan was right, his marriage offers really weren't meant to be.

His darling didn't belong in a cage, and forcing her into a commitment was the least romantic thing he could think of now.

It hurt his heart to think that way, knowing fully well how he'd intended earlier today to get another ring once they'd returned to Corona.

Maybe he was too stupid to see it before.

Too blinded by his affections and aspirations.

She was a free bird.

She'd be happier without him asking.

Would she be?

He thought of her face at the cliff's edge.

Her tears.

Her bitten lip.

Her reddened eyes.

The shake of her voice.

Her promises to him.

He stared back at the water.

He could hardly recognize himself, but she still loved him.

She knew him.

She loved him.

He grimaced, swatting the water with his hand, breaking his reflection.

He couldn't stand this weight on his heart.

The pain she must be in.

He had told her what he was doing.

He had told her why.

Yet...

She hadn't understood.

Well, if the shoes were reversed he wasn't sure how he would react.

He'd beg her to stay, certainly.

He'd feel such an aching for her and her pain.

So no, she had understood.

There was no easy way to stop loving someone.

That took time.

To stop loving someone....

He pressed his fingers to his temple.

"I know it's hard to ask someone to stop loving you. Lesser men would break from the pressure.", the girl sat beside him, "I'm proud of your strength."

He sighed, his shoulders tense.

She gave him space, moving to lounge against a tree stump.

He sniffled, hiding his face in his hands.

"I have to do this. I need to. There's no other way.", he muttered aloud.

"Rapunzel's fate is in your hands. It's your duty to control the rocks. If you were to abandon that now and hide it away, the Moonstone would surely lead her back to its location. You have to do this. It's your destiny."

Eugene wiped his eyes and stared back into the rippling water.

She was right.

He was right.

Rapunzel would never stop looking.

So he could never stop running.

He cracked his back and stretched, surveying the forest around him.

He broke up a group of shrubs and mashed their leafy branches together.

Upon further searching he found some sturdy vines and sliced them clean with his great-sword.

Letting out a soft breath of fatigue, he scaled a tree nearby, layering the shrub pile closest to the crook of the branch and settling himself onto the limb entirely.

"What are you doing?", she stared up at him curiously.

"Making camp."

She smirked, "Clever boy. How are you disguising yourself?"

He finished tying his torso and legs to the tree branch with the vine, settling down against the bushy shrub and covering the moonstone with his hand.

Luckily he had the cover of darkness on his side, so his makeshift pillow would work well enough.

The blue hair ruled out using a mossy rock like he normally did.

"My, my. They really did take you for granted didn't they. Where are we heading to in the morning?"

He sighed, "The Forest of No Return. It's a labyrinth. Impossible to escape without a map."

She floated to sit at his feet.

"You do realize you don't have the map anymore? Your clothes and pockets are all-"

He cut her off.

"I got that part. I'm trying to get lost on purpose cause they don't have the map either. Geez, you ask a lot of questions. Especially for an all-knowing moon spirit thing.", he frowned, "Do you have a name? Nickname?"

She smiled, "Am I irritating you, my prince?"

He pinched his fingers, "Teeny tiny bit."

She sighed, twirling to float above him.

"My deepest apologies. I'll leave you alone until you're ready to train with me. Is that alright?"

He nodded.

She curtsied to him before disappearing completely.

Strange.

Ancient magic had way too much fondness for creepy spirits.

She wasn't so bad, but he at least wanted some privacy while he was mourning his relationship.

Rapunzel...

He narrowed his eyes, biting his lip.

No, he had to control himself.

No wasting energy on moping around.

He wasn't abandoning her.

Well...not completely.

It wasn't like that.

Even so, he'd hurt her.

That wasn't dashing or heroic.

He lied to her face, used her love, hurt Cass...

He really was a monster.

But he couldn't do anything about it.

Giving up and going back meant death for Rapunzel.

So it was either being horrible to her by lying and leaving and breaking her heart...

...Or sentencing her to death.

There wasn't another option.

He knew deep down he'd never get over her.

He knew she'd tell herself to never get over him.

But she had to.

Someday, someone would tell her to sire an heir.

Or marry for some political gain.

He felt himself gag at the thought of it.

Someone else romancing her...

Her smiling for another.

Was that a worse feeling than her unhappy in a relationship?

No...

No.

Her being happy was all that mattered.

If she got over him and was fine, he'd be fine.

He had to be.

He'd make himself be fine, for her sake.

If she truly gave up on him that meant she was safe.

He stared up at the moon through the treetops.

Hopefully he'd make more headway tomorrow.

He'd have to figure out hunting with a great-sword without any provisions.

Maybe he'd hand fish in the river for now.

At some point he needed to get supplies somehow to keep trekking onward, like rope and flint.

He frowned.

His money was in his pockets.

The pockets that burned up.

Were his clothes really gone, or was this an effect of the transformation?

Great...

Stealing anything out here was going to be twice as hard now that he practically glowed.

Perhaps he'd steal a cloak first.

Eugene yawned, rubbing his face as he tried to drift off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Rapunzel wiped her eyes, fretfully sketching in her journal by firelight.

The dark kingdom palace was cold, and it's bedrooms were somehow less inviting.

Her room was apparently the palace nursery.

Black rocks sprouted terrifyingly through the floor, a dark looking stain against their sheen and the floor and carpet around them.

This brown, dark, ominous stain...

She'd already heard Lance and Cassandra complaining from outside the door.

Perhaps their rooms had black rocks and decades old bloodstains as well.

The Dark King had met them out on the cliff's edge after a while, brandishing the terrifying axe he'd threatened them with earlier.

He'd said something about Eugene being his son.

He promised to harbor them until tomorrow when he would set out after the wayward child.

His words.

It all felt so...strange.

Eugene had taken the moonstone and turned into...that.

They'd lost the shadow blade great-sword.

Eugene had used her.

Cass had been hurt and stabbed her boyfriend.

Eugene ran from her.

His eyes were so...especially strange.

His pleading to her on the cliffside was off putting.

He seemed distraught and kind and full of emotion like she was used to.

But his eyes weren't right.

Those soft, brown eyes that seemed so knowing...

The hazelnut gaze that would calm her down, or paint her a sensitive scene...

They were gone, replaced by such frightening blue irises.

So vivid and wild...

He looked scared.

When they'd questioned the Dark King, he'd claimed that he was going to take the moonstone and his son back to bring them here.

Adira had fought with him over letting Rapunzel have the moonstone and both brought up the idea of her death once again.

Rapunzel, weak and crying had appealed to him somewhat, so despite their conflict he'd allowed them to stay the night.

In private their party had decided to trek out tomorrow as well, but she found herself wide awake and afraid.

She chewed her thumb for a moment, brow tense.

Was it King Edmund's fault that Eugene betrayed them?

Was Eugene being tempted, like his father said?

Why didn't he trust her?

_"You'll.......find..someone..else.."_

She wiped her eyes again, tiredly sniffling.

Why couldn't she stop crying?

She was heartbroken, yes.

But she wanted to be stronger for her group.

Stronger for him.

Eugene...

_"I fear for our morale.",Adira narrowed her eyes._

_Rapunzel looked up at her, chewing her dried jerky slowly._

_"Without glue, the group will fall apart. Without Fishskin there will nothing to keep your party in line, even as small as it is."_

_Cass scoffed,"We're not giving up just cause he isn't here. Who said he was the core anyways? Why would we fall apart without him now?"_

_Lance absently stirred a finger around the rim of his goblet._

_"Funny how you're the only one saying that.",he shot her a side eye._

_Cass snarled a bit, exasperated,"I had to act fast! He was getting away! I'm not happy about it either!"_

_He rolled his eyes,"Yet it happened. And he's still not here. Great guard work, really breaking boundaries here."_

_She strangled the table edge._

_"Well I didn't see you doing anything to help at all except complain at me! How do you not grab a guy who's right in front of you??!",she snapped._

_"Maybe the freaky rock powers and lightning were a little off-putting!", he glared._

_"Stop fighting!",Rapunzel slapped a hand down onto the table, her breath hiked and trembling._

_Everyone looked at her._

_"...Eugene was our navigator. He was our scout and the best at foraging for us and dealing with fauna. He had all of our maps and now we're pretty much blind. We have no compass, no maps, and no guide to the wilderness with us. But we do have Adira.",she smiled at her towering friend._

_Adira sighed lightly and sipped her goblet._

_"I need to stay behind for something important to me. Once I've completely realigned then I might rejoin you on the road. I might run into Fishskin sooner than the rest of you, so I'll take care of him if I stumble onto the same path."_

_Rapunzel bit her lip._

_"...No sweat then. We have Lance. You and Eugene were partners, so you can totally show us some excellent tips and tricks for traversing the wild."_

_Cassandra grimaced,"Lance couldn't lead himself down a lit hallway. He has the worst sense of direction I've seen in my life."_

_Lance nodded, waving his fork towards her._

_"Eugene usually did all of that when we were doing jobs together. I can forage and do the heavy lifting though if we need it."_

_Cass sat back in her chair, crossing her legs,"And I'll scout. I can take out any fauna that get in our way. And if Lance gets a sword then he'll be useful too."_

_Rapunzel smiled._

_"And I'll chart a star map to help navigate. I think we'll find him sooner than we think!"_

_Adira stood up, staring off into the sky outside the window._

_She turned back to look at the flames of the fireplace._

_"Fishskin will be alright. But I worry about his fortitude emotionally. He's a stubborn pup, so pursuing him might be a mistake."_

Rapunzel felt her heart still.

He was intensely devoted and loyal to her.

That meant he wouldn't come back if he thought that was best for her.

She pressed more firmly to the paper.

His father wanted to bring him back and keep him here.

No way that was happening.

He wasn't being forced into a tower away from everyone he loved.

She wouldn't let that happen.

She'd never wish that on anyone else.

Her boyfriend...

Her love...

Her best friend...

She was going to find him.

She was willing to risk the sundrop and moonstone joining together.

She wasn't afraid to find him.

The door creaked open, Cass standing in the dim moonlight of the hallway.

"Hey, Raps."

Rapunzel smiled, scooting over a bit and patting her seat beside her.

Cass listened, leaning back and sighing.

She glanced at the journal.

"You're drawing him like...that?"

Rapunzel toyed with her hair,"I put everything in here. I have to keep track of things, even if they make me sad."

Eugene was clear to see on both pages of her journal entry.

The left page showed a pleasant looking portrait of his normal appearance, with a shift occurring after a slash. 

The right page had Eugene largely printed, his eyes wide and frightened.

Cass narrowed her eyes, clearly troubled.

"...Why'd you make him look so...scared?", her voice was slow and distinctly hiding feelings.

"He seemed like it. I think he didn't mean to hurt you, he apologized. He just kept running, and his dad said he had to fight him. Just imagine all he's been through today. His father terrified him enough to take the moonstone for himself and run away with it. I can't imagine what that feels like."

She sighed, putting her head in her hands.

Cass gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Raps, I have to tell you something."

Rapunzel looked up.

Cass grimaced,"...About the moonstone. And stealing it."

Rapunzel put the journal to the side of herself, folding up her knees and hugging them close.

"...When we were in the house of yesterday's tomorrow...I..saw something."

Cassandra furrowed her brow intensely.

"I was alone at a cottage in the woods. I couldn't find the exit, and I was looking for you.",she swooped a tuft of her bob behind an ear,"..It felt like a dream."

Her frown deepened.

"...I don't remember much about my childhood. I couldn't really, I was at too young an age to really understand what was happening around me. I remembered living somewhere else before I met my father. I remember always thinking of him as someone who could protect me for the longest time...but I had trouble remembering why. He never talked with me about my mother. Ever."

Her shoulders were tense.

"I was so angry with him at one point, I just wanted to know where I came from. I wanted a birthright...a destiny for myself. He wasn't allowing me to focus on my dreams as a guard so I felt like whatever my mother had for me was important. A forbidden treasure. Maybe a wicked curse. Something. Just anything to make me worth it."

She sighed, looking away from Rapunzel.

"...I love my father. I've always loved him, but...I got mad. I was frustrated. I felt like I wasn't allowed anything for the longest time, not even the knowledge of my own mother. Was she dead? Was she still out there? Was she a criminal I could bring to justice? Could I talk to her?",she swallowed,"I know it sounds selfish, but I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to be something special. I wanted to be useful and a patriot, and anything else I could be to fulfill my destiny and duty to myself. I guess being an orphan makes you feel a little out of place. And being forced into a maid position doesn't really lessen that fire. But I kept dreaming, and wanting more. Wanting to prove myself. To you...to everybody."

Cass slicked her bangs back.

"In that dream...I saw it. My mother. This...ghost girl showed my mother to me. My mother hating me, my mother scolding and avoiding me. My mother abandoning me...for you."

Rapunzel paled, instinctively clutching her hair.

Cass bit her lip and locked eyes with her.

"...Your mother was...",Rapunzel croaked, her voice a high strained squeak.

Cass nodded.

"Gothel."

Rapunzel's toes curled as she crossed her feet, almost frozen.

Cass tried to talk against the choking tension in the air, and the pure fear emanating from her friend.

"...I'd never known much about Gothel. All I'd ever heard was from you and Eugene, and you hardly said much at all. But once I saw the baby in her arms...that hair...",Cass breathed deeply,"I knew it was her. She was my mother. All my life it had been her. This monster I never knew about, that never even wanted me."

Rapunzel was deathly silent.

"...The girl showed me everything. And I was...angry. My own mother abandoned me for you. I was never allowed to know about her, I never got my revenge, I never got her love...",Cass gripped the bed tightly,"...and she told me I was nothing. I'd never overcome anything in my path alone."

She grit her teeth,"Then I thought about it. My arm...everything that happened at the Great Tree..you...Adira...you putting less trust in me. I was too weak. I thought about stealing it. Taking it and running away."

Rapunzel made a quiet peep, eyes wide and watery.

Cass looked back at her and held her hand.

"But then it hit me. We were laying under the stars by the fire and I thought about it. What good would running away do for me? Nothing. And my mother...Gothel. She never loved you, did she? What made me so angry about that? It wasn't about her at all in the end. My dad never told me because he didn't want to hurt me. I could've even been put in danger if I'd known, back when your dad was being paranoid about you being taken again. He raised me and cared for me. He was more of a mother to me than that woman would ever be. So why was I angry?"

Cass squeezed her hand lightly.

"It was you, Raps. Back in Corona everyone saw me as an accessory to you. I felt like that was your fault cause I was so angry.",she sighed,"And when I was getting recognition and attention in Vardaros...I felt like I was finally my own person when I led the attack on Old Corona and set out as your knight on this adventure. I feel strong protecting you, leading others. I love the wind in my hair and a sword in my grip. I like combat, I like the thrill and glory of a fight."

She smiled,"But most importantly I like helping you. You're my best friend, Raps, and the princess. My responsibility. You're my purpose. I already made my destiny in choosing to fight by your side. I want to be your knight. I want to protect you and go wherever you need me. I realized that I didn't want the moonstone at all, the night before we set out for the dark kingdom."

She blushed a bit, coughing.

"Oh, Cass....",Rapunzel wiped her eyes, snuggling her into a hug.

Cass smirked, patting her back gently instead of fully returning the hug.

"Yeah, yeah, I spilled my guts, but I'm trying to make a point here."

Rapunzel released her and sat on her calves, attentive and poised.

Cass grew a bit darker in her expression.

"That ghost girl wanted me to take the stone. She kept insisting and I wanted to listen....I'm scared that maybe Eugene is..well.",she frowned,"..Being tempted..like I was."

Rapunzel whimpered lightly, Pascal crawling onto her shoulder and squeaking.

She snuggled him gently, her scared gaze turning pensive.

"...He never said anything to me about a ghost girl. I'm sure he would. That sounds like one of Zhan Tiri's followers for sure.",she chewed her lip,"..But Eugene would never...he's smart. No offense. But he doesn't have any reason to believe them."

Cass leaned against one of the rocks.

"Evil magic makes us act pretty stupid, ya know. It's happened before. But you're right, he didn't seem crazy."

Rapunzel scooped up Pascal, rubbing his belly to soothe the both of them.

"...He doesn't hate me. He kept apologizing and saying he was doing this to save me.",she looked up at Cass,"But wouldn't a Zhan Tiri follower want me to die? Why would they warn him about the moonstone and sundrop meeting? Even Adira told us I could die."

Cass pet Pascal as well,"Unless they want the moonstone far away from the sundrop for something."

Rapunzel sighed.

Varian had outwitted them before, and she didn't want it to happen again.

If she couldn't outthink these sorcerers, then her boyfriend was in grave danger.

She paled.

"What if it kills him?"

Cass raised an eyebrow,"Huh?"

Rapunzel tensed, her hands shaking.

"What if...they hurt him? They leave him all alone and scared and they rip him to pieces?? They take the moonstone for themselves and leave him there to rot and-"

Pascal waved his tiny feet at her, squeaking to urge her to calm down.

Rapunzel panted, her heart in knots.

Cass scooted closer beside her again.

"It's okay, Raps, we'll be okay. I don't trust Adira, but she said he'd be fine. And we know Eugene."

Rapunzel smiled halfway,"Yeah. You're right. He's too tough for that, right?"

Cass paused,"...I more meant we know how to stop him if he goes crazy and violent but yeah. Sure."

She sighed, patting Rapunzel's ankle.

"Listen, I'm sorry I stabbed him, I just really wanted to stop him and there was no other way. Please forgive me, Raps."

Rapunzel placed her chameleon onto her shoulder again.

"...Its okay, Cass. Just please...don't do that again. I know there has to be another way. I could look inside his heart if I try hard enough. I just...want to talk to him."

Cass stood up, her eyes cloudy.

She knew Cass was doing what she thought was right.

Even if it was violent and painful, it was a guards instinct to act and apprehend.

Cass was only doing what she felt was right.

....So was he.

It was baffling how much they'd split apart from their own morals.

Their ideals were airtight.

She worried if things would stay this way for them, her friends now at different places.

Their hearts were heavy.

She looked blissfully back on the simplicity of the previous year.

Well...

Before Varian.

"I'll do what I must. I'm sorry, Raps."

Cass was quiet for a moment.

She tensed bitterly before groaning a bit.

"Stop staring at me like that. We can try talking first, but if anything happens, or he tries to bail on us I'm jumping on him. Okay? I don't want him to die either."

Rapunzel nodded, picking her journal back up.

"If anything, his dad is ready to kill him. We just gotta beat him out and then Fitzherbert is ours. I'll keep the king off of him for you."

Rapunzel smiled,"Thanks, Cass."

She paused a moment before playfully grinning,"....Sisters?"

Cass rolled her eyes, smirking,"No way."

She headed for the door, being careful to step around the rocks.

"This place looks like hell.",she grumbled.

"..Heh yeah. Totally.",Rapunzel played her teeth against her bottom lip anxiously,"..Have a good night, Cass! Get some rest!"

Cassandra nodded and wished her well.

The door finally shut.

She sighed.

If Eugene was mixed up with Zhan Tiri...

She fret over him again, flipping backwards through her journal in a slump.

Zhan Tiri had manipulated Cass, who was probably one of the strongest people she knew.

What if he was being controlled?

What if they were hurting him?

What if he was losing his mind?

Rapunzel stopped at a particular entry, memories flooding to her mind with a smile.

Pascal crept out to look at the pages.

She chuckled,"Remember this, little guy? Hookfoot and I used that anti-curse ritual cauldron to shoot us over the canyon. Look at everyone! We were so scared it wouldn't work and-"

Her eyes softened.

Her fingers delicately stroked the left side of the page.

Eugene kissing her forehead.

Encouraging her.

Trying everything to brighten her mood.

To ease her worries...

Those two days were horrible really, but after the canyon jump...

She softly thumbed the page.

He always believed in her, even when everyone was panicking over fake curses, he did everything he could to help her out.

Sure he'd lied and that hurt her, but he did it out of the goodness of his heart.

Her lip thinned.

He gave her that tooth to make her happy. He made a good luck charm overnight for the sake of making her feel better,and he tried to smile the entire terrifying canyon crossing to keep up the ruse.

Sure it was wrong and it hurt her but...she couldn't stay mad at him.

If he hadn't done that, she wouldn't have seen the harm she was doing to herself.

Rapunzel took a quiet breath, her thumb tracing his face on the page.

No, this was different. Yet...

It was so like him to drop everything for her.

To put her above all else.

Sure crafting a necklace out of a tooth with a fake backstory wasn't the same as stealing a powerful magical artifact, but his heart was still there.

He always acted like this.

But she didn't want a martyr, it worried her deeply.

She wanted to be able to do something for him.

It felt wrong to be constantly sacrificed for.

She wanted to be capable.

She wanted to show that love to him.

But no one let her make any sacrifices.

Why couldn't she risk her life to save the rocks?

What made her any more important than the rest of them?

Her title?

Did they all think they were expendable?

Is this why Cass was so angry back at the Great Tree, before...

She swallowed hard.

Why was he so willing to die?

Even when she made painful choices she felt scared in the pit of her heart.

He seemed so collected.

But now he seemed...

Scared.

She stared at the crib in the corner of the room.

It was broken, blue, and full of splinters.

Her eyes traced back to the bloody spire in the middle of the room.

She stilled, paling.

What had his father told him about the stone?

Why was he so scared for her?

Had he been planning this long or was it just today this had surfaced?

She skimmed the journal, stopping and reading entries regarding Eugene.

Today Eugene proposed to me! By accident, but it happened! I want to marry Eugene someday, but not right now...

She stared at the page for a long time.

_I miss Eugene. Why would he marry another girl? Why run off and get married? I want to apologize. Is it my fault? Who is she? Did I take him for granted?_

Her heart ached.

This longing...this pain was so similar to how his time trapped with Stalyan had made her feel.

She had to stop doubting herself and him.

This was likely his father's doing.

There was no way he'd go against her and worry so much without a nudge.

Pascal yawned, curling up in the crook of her neck.

"I know, Pascal. I miss him too."

She tenderly felt at her sketches.

Was he scared because he felt bad?

He seemed like he couldn't control it when he hit Cassandra.

Did his plan go awry?

Was he scared of what she'd think of him?

He kept apologizing...

_"You'll....find...someone..else..."_

She stared teary eyed at her pictures.

Was he scared that she'd never stop looking for him?

He knew her completely.

And he still loved her, it showed.

So why...?

Why couldn't he let her make this decision?

She bit her tongue.

That was a fruitless question.

He wouldn't let her risk her life.

She knew him too well.

But if they didn't get the moonstone, those rocks would stay as an unknown threat, right?

And her destiny was to unite with the stone.

So she couldn't spare herself.

She was sure she wouldn't die.

And even if she did, she'd stop the rocks at least.

Her heart weighed in her chest.

She stared at the bloody spire again.

His mother was nowhere to be seen.

Was this her killer?

Did Eugene know?

Rapunzel covered her eyes,"...Oh, Eugene..."

That ghost Cassandra had mentioned...

Zhan Tiri spirits had already attacked her and her friends before.

She'd been tempted herself, and then Cass as well...

Eugene...

She had to find him.

It was her duty to save him.

An act of pure love.

Rapunzel flipped open the journal with a great muse of fire.

Her hand powerfully danced across the page with her quill.

After a while she sighed, slicking her hair back with a sense of purpose.

Her mission was laid in ink and color before her.

_I need to reach Eugene. I'll do anything to save his life._

The two were firmly embracing, a hard kiss between them.

Blue lightning and golden sparks showering around them.

The rocks and pure light surrounding them with roses and birds.

Something dramatic and romantic, fantastical and empowering.

Her storybook climax.

She smiled and wrote the final message of her entry.

_I'll save my kingdom with the Moonstone. I can't wait._

She shut the journal, satisfied, and placed Pascal beside her pillow.

"Goodnight, buddy.", she pecked the crest of his head.

Tomorrow she was ready to take on anything.


	5. Chapter 5

Eugene cracked his back, yawning and untying himself from the tree.

Worst sleep he'd had in a while, but hey, it was better than nothing.

Castle life and the caravan had gotten him used to a mattress.

He missed his bed back at the castle.

Sure the thing was small but it did what it was supposed to.

They'd basically emptied a supply closet for him to sleep in, a complete afterthought to Rapunzel's return.

But that was fine.

He was used to cramped spaces, and at least it was clean.

He had a mirror and a drawer, so that was really everything he needed.

He couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd felt a mattress under him.

Cassandra would complain about how long he'd sleep in, but she had no idea how much he was catching up on.

Rapunzel was the same way.

She slept in for hours and hours in that large cushy bed of hers.

He imagined it was a huge upgrade from whatever Gothel had her sleeping in.

He frowned as he felt his back.

Was he really reminiscing about sleeping in the castle?

He scolded himself internally as he descended down the base of the tree.

No longing for beds and castle life.

He was on the road again now.

Don't be soft, don't complain.

Stealing a bedroll sounded like a great idea though.

He splashed his face and neck in the river, trying to get used to his own appearance.

...and his self care kit was in the caravan.

That fell off a cliff.

And crashed at a river's edge.

He groaned, slapping his forehead and dragging a hand down his face.

Stop being so soft about castle life.

Sure he liked the moisturizer, the shaving supplies, and the brow kit, but those weren't necessities.

Sure he liked being able to wash and thoroughly pamper his hair.

But no, no.

Not necessity..

Unfortunately not necessity.

And his comb...

He stopped himself.

Yes this would be his first time out without even a hand mirror or comb but it was fine.

He was avoiding people anyways, so it didn't really matter how bad his bedhead was.

His image wasn't important.

Rapunzel was.

Just another thing to give up for her sake.

He took a deep breath and stood up.

He had to find something to eat around here.

With a great-sword.

He grimaced.

It was fine, he'd figure it out.

Hand fishing was fine by him.

He waded out into the river, the water reaching a bit below his waist.

He planted his feet firmly into the mud beneath.

It was strange being unable to feel the water at all unless it splashed his face.

Creepy rock armor...

He bent over and glared at the stream.

For just waking up, he felt hyper alert for some reason.

The stone most likely, he'd felt similarly back at the Dark Kingdom.

He frowned at the water before smirking a bit.

He climbed up into the bank and posed over the edge, his hands flayed out.

Nothing.

He squinted.

Still nothing.

Why did it stop working?

What made it work?

He frowned deeply, letting a long sigh leave his lips.

"...Moonstone?"

The girl materialized beside him, smirking and delicately resting against his outstretched arm.

"Yes~?",she coyly elongated her words in a pompous manner of speaking.

He only offered a glance to her, trying to focus.

"What makes my powers work?"

She snorted, "So snappy today, your majesty. You're lucky I'm so patient. Ahem. The Moonstone reacts to strong negative emotions, like fear and hatred, your frantic terror or your deepest rage...those are what fuel your powers."

He raised an eyebrow,"...That makes sense, but back at the castle I did it when I was happy once. I think I was happy. I'm not sure anymore."

She clicked her tongue to scold him.

" The Moonstone will always act to protect its host vessel. You weren't happy, it was merely catching you so you wouldn't fall, and putting distance between your pursuers. You weren't angry at Cassandra and you hurt her. See how important controlling your powers is? You'll starve without them. You'll become a monster."

Eugene felt his lower abdomen tense, a sickly feeling flooding his body.

Cass..

He glared at the water and crushed his hand into a fist.

Nothing happened.

His molars ground together as he deepened his expression in a more wild glare.

Nothing.

"Am I not angry enough? What the hell is happening? Is it me? Am I the problem?", he tried to snarl, his shoulders heaving with heavy breath.

The ghost girl floated to the other side of him, moving close to whisper in his ear.

"Rage. You must be filled with pure rage and anger. It's easier to make your rage ignite than your fear. Think about something that enrages you."

He tried to focus harder on the river before him.

He was pissed at himself, sure.

He was annoyed at the moonstone spirit.

He was upset with his situation.

Nothing was really strong enough to make him consider being 'filled with pure rage'.

His eyes narrowed.

Corona?

No, bad memories of Corona were all washed out by good memories with Rapunzel.

That stupid horse?

No, he liked Max too much to 'rage'.

The Baron?

He was an afterthought now.

Eugene grit his teeth.

Curse him for being so content with everything as of late.

His emotions towards his destiny weren't rage either, his heart was dominated with sorrow and a sense of duty.

His destiny...

Eugene narrowed his eyes intensely.

His father.

The man that abandoned him for 24 years.

The man that set all of this into motion.

The man that threw him down a staircase to stop him from saving Rapunzel.

That man.

That vile man.

Eugene sweat as he began to force the rocks upward.

The ghost girl cheered him on, a delightedly wicked smile on her face.

He grunted, the act taking way more out of him than he had intended.

The rock dam formed at a snail's pace, nearly sending him to the floor from effort alone.

He dropped to his knees, the subtle lines on his forehead creasing as he dared to keep going.

What did Cass do with her training dummies?

She was always so loud when she smacked them around.

That made her seem scary and pissed.

She'd told him it helped her get in the mood to beat people up, so maybe that would work?

Screaming his head off wasn't really what he wanted to get into, considering he was trying to hide and run away from the others.

He felt like this action was draining him completely.

Was his anger not strong enough?

Was it because he was unworthy to wield the Moonstone?

Did it need an easily angered person?

The rock wall had reached the height of his knees as he collapsed, panting and sputtering in the grass.

His head hurt from clenching his teeth so hard.

The girl sighed in disappointment.

"Finished already? A pity, really. I thought you had more in you. How can you honestly not channel an angry thought properly? Does nothing displease you? Are you a lapdog to your peers?"

He panted a haggard breath, shivering.

His chest ached, lungs hard at work.

The Moonstone was draining to use, even worse so when trying to command it here.

Why was he not angry enough about his father?

He swallowed thick saliva, threatening to lurch.

...He'd already blown up at his father and been mostly reconciled.

Sure he didn't like him but he didn't vehemently hate him anymore.

He didn't hate anything enough as he should.

He hated the snow.

He hated being hungry.

He hated being called Flynn Rider.

He hated people talking about his proportions in a negative light.

What the hell was he supposed to be mad about?

What was wrong with him?

Cass speared him like a fish and left him gushing blood in agony, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her at all!

Cass wasn't some monster he could get angry at, she was a human being he'd had intimate conversation with.

Maybe the she-devil would've been easier to hate earlier on, but everything was different now.

He stared at the small formation in the water.

So close, yet so far to being complete.

His eyes sparked with wild intuition.

He dragged himself over to the water's edge, shakily pressing his hand to the rock fixture.

"What on earth are you doing now?"

Eugene took a deep breath and buried his face under the water.

He held himself there until his head felt light.

His heart was pounding.

Just a little longer.

"What the HELL are you doing?!"

The pounding was loud in his head, like it was ramming inside his skull.

He had to wait for it.

And they better hurry up already.

His chest tensed.

He couldn't hold it any longer.

Eugene grunted as he was slammed back to the surface, the force of the rock splitting through the riverbed being enough to send him back a couple feet.

He hacked and coughed out water, trying to take in air as slowly as he could manage.

The ghost thundered over him, a fierce anger in her eyes and snarl.

"How on earth did you come up with such a stupid idea?! That was reckless and foolish and utterly baffling that you would even attempt to-"

Eugene chuckled weakly as he looked at the tall dam that had formed.

It was messy, yeah, but it sure as hell worked.

"I appreciate it, Sparkles, but you gotta admit, that was a good idea in the end."

She rolled her eyes, rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Please do not endanger yourself again, your majesty. Its likely fruitless."

Eugene slowly got to his feet again, smiling in relief, "I promise."

He shook out his hair as he staggered towards the hole in the center of the dam he'd created, pulling out a hearty fish that was trapped inside.

"Bôn apetit.",he winked at her.

The ghost girl smiled, rolling her eyes a bit tiredly at him.

Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

She seemed to care about him and could joke around.

Hopefully Sparkles would ease up on her nagging every now and then.

He needed her to help him if he was going to protect Rapunzel, so they might as well get used to each other.

And a Zhan Tiri spirit would have sucked out his soul about now, or forced him into some creepy ritual.

He'd remain vigilant, but getting on her good side wasn't a loss for either theory.

After breakfast he was determined to find a bedroll.

He'd seen an opposing smoke column while looking for firewood, and supposed that whoever was using that campfire might still be there.

Stealth would be harder but hey, he was a pro at this.

Just don't sweat it.

Eugene walked until he found the campsite, seeing a small setup that seemed as inconspicuous as possible.

A dark chestnut horse was tethered to a tree nearby.

Stealing the horse came to mind.

It would be a smart thing to do.

He frowned.

Rapunzel would hate him for thinking like that.

Whoever was at the camp seemed to be out for firewood, so his best option was to take everything and run.

Food, supplies, a horse....

It was like life was throwing him a fair hand for once.

He bent down to roll up the bedroll.

As he stood up something snapped against his back, shattering to pieces.

He whipped around in surprise at the broken dagger and the curse under his attacker's breath.

She stared at him, wide eyed.

"...Flynn..?!"

He swallowed hard,"...Stalyan?!"

The two stared at each other in complete silence for a moment.

Eugene looked up her body, noticing the cloak and sacks of money strapped to her belt.

More sacks were chained to her horse's side.

He felt himself smile teasingly to break the ice.

"...Glad to see you didn't spend it all in one place.", he gestured to the treasury money at her side.

"Why the hell are you blue, Rider?? Whatever, you scared the hell out of me!", she snapped.

Her voice had a familiar cusp to it, feisty and strong like coffee.

She practically had a taste about her, her presence was so thick.

Her scent...her expressions...

Eugene took a deep breath before lightly tapping the tip of her pointed rapier.

"Let's..not play with that.",he gently pushed the blade down,"Better question is what are you doing here? I thought the Baron was under the weather?"

She scoffed, putting her sword away, lest he break it like he'd shattered her dagger.

Her eyes were striking as she studied him over.

"...Daddy's getting treated elsewhere. He wants to skin you and your little girlfriend alive, you know that?"

Eugene shrugged a bit too playfully for the matter of a man he'd doomed,"...I'm flattered. I don't think I'd look good as a rug though. Maybe curtains."

He kept his eyes on her as she circled around him.

"But you still haven't answered my question."

She looked up at him, standing to full height again as he spoke.

It was strange being with Stalyan again.

The last time he'd seen her, they weren't exactly on good terms with each other.

Sure, Rapunzel had said that she was a changed person, but knowing Stalyan he was still on edge.

Blondie could make anyone her ally in a second, all it took was her big green eyes radiating pure innocence and her lovely smile.

Maybe a song or two.

But Eugene Fitzherbert? No way.

He still had Flynn Rider baggage to lug around with every encounter, and he'd pissed off a lot of people in his time as a dashing rogue.

He also wasn't used to her being so close to his height.

Her slender frame was surprisingly threatening.

He'd seen her leave people for dead.

And their previous intimacy somehow added to the sense of dread.

Messy, messy breakup.

"What I'm doing isn't important. Just traveling the world as a free woman. None of the Baron's freaks holding me down.",she kept a calculating gaze as her eyes outlined every part of his shape.

"Have that private island yet?",he tried to keep an edge over her with Flynn style banter.

She smirked, her dark lips sliding coyly.

"Still saving up. You know how I am with the things I want.",Stalyan kept her steely glare, taunting him,"I'm sure the princess has paid for your's by now, hasn't she?"

He chuckled,"Funny you mention that! See, we actually got lost at sea and stranded on an island for a bit there! Really made me think about the whole 'private island' thing. Lots of hot sand. Sunburns. Can't say I didn't love it though."

She raised her sword to his neck.

"I'd love to chat but I see someone was about to take my bedroll. Care to explain? Or does Flynn Rider not have an excuse for this one?"

He swallowed.

Shit.

He'd been waiting for her to mention it, he knew she wasn't stupid.

He smiled at her lightly, gently dipping his chin and shutting his eyes to chuckle.

His voice was soft and slow, friendly but warmly flirtatious.

"Alright, you caught me. I'm afraid I'm a bit down on my luck at the moment.",he hummed, musing,"...But believe me, if I'd known it was you I was stealing from?"

He whistled.

"I'd have backed out of here, let me tell you that. I know not to mess around with a triple threat like you..."

He kicked himself for the last comment ending so awkwardly.

He'd stopped himself from calling her 'gorgeous', but couldn't think of anything in time to replace it.

His tongue was limp like a dog in the sun.

Stupid and tired.

He'd tried to drown himself nearly an hour ago.

Maybe he was light headed.

Maybe it was nerves.

Maybe he felt bad, remembering Blondie at a time like this.

Her cute smile with plush lips, her front teeth resting a bit lower than the rest, pressing softly into that plushness...

That was gorgeous.

He felt sickly for flirting with another woman, even if it was fake.

That was Flynn Rider stuff, not Eugene.

It was like digging up an old grave.

Dragging a dead body around.

His dead body.

Why had he fallen so naturally into Flynn around her?

She seemed so imposing he felt like he had to.

It was how he knew to make her listen and stay the hell out of his way.

But still...

It wasn't who he was anymore.

Poking at that grave brought a bad, bad feeling.

Stalyan laughed a bit, her sneer cutting.

"You've lost your touch, Rider. And I don't fall for your bullshit. You've got five seconds to get the hell out of here. Run back to Blondie. At least she knows how to talk to people like they're not stupid."

His hands firmly gripped the bedroll.

She kept the dagger high.

Flynn Rider would've shattered her sword to pieces, backhanded her and taken off with everything she had here.

....But he wasn't like that anymore.

Maybe talking to Stalyan as himself would be better.

She'd not listened to him at the wedding, but here was different.

He sighed and dropped the bedroll.

"Stalyan, I'm sorry."

She smiled and picked up the roll.

His brow creased.

"...I was horrible to you. Back when we were kids."

She stopped smiling.

Her gaze was locked on him, perhaps feeling safe by the fact that he was staring off at nothing.

"I used your wealth and took advantage of your money to make me feel better. I should've been more honest about how I felt to you. I should have told you when I was falling out of love.",he kneaded his thumb against his clenched fist, "I shouldn't have left you at the altar. It should have been a better time than that."

He didn't want to scare her by looking at her with these bright blue eyes.

"...Because I did love you. I loved you very much at a time. You deserved to be let down easy. I shouldn't have done that to an old friend, and especially to someone I'd been in love with for so long."

He kept his gaze from her still.

"I'm not that person anymore. I promise. I'm sorry for everything I did to you as Flynn. I thought being that kind of person would keep me from getting hurt and I'd get everything I'd ever wanted. You don't have to forgive me, I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and I've changed."

He moved to sidestep her figure.

"I'll stay out of your way. Safe travels."

Her hand stopped him, pressing against his chest.

She sighed.

"...You weren't totally horrible to me, Flynn. I had my share of being the bad guy, way more often when I really think about it."

Stalyan stepped back and cleared her throat, a bit restrained.

"Look. Rapunzel and you seem happy, so I've been reasoning with myself for a while about my devotion to others.", her deep brown eyes looked like they were hiding something tender behind them,"I think we started going in different directions with puppy love after we were kids and...it got...bad. I'm assuming you weren't very appreciative of me being so demanding of you and your time."

He started to open his mouth, but Stalyan halted him, raising a finger.

"Listen, Flynn. I used you plenty in the later years as eye candy and something to own, but you did say the worst possible thing to me at the altar. So I get the sympathy points here."

He found himself smiling a bit.

Same old Stalyan.

She put away her sword, bending down to pick up the pieces of her broken dagger.

"Getting away from the mushy stuff, care to explain the whole blue hair thing? The rock skin, maybe?"

He flushed a bit, bending down to help her gather the pieces.

"It's not skin.", he muttered.

"Could've fooled me. That thing hugs you like crazy. I'm assuming it's lightweight armor?", she rolled her tongue against her teeth, "Some rock magic the princess gave you?"

He chewed his lip.

She looked up at him and scoffed,"Oh god, not a sob story. Flynnie, really?"

Some color lit his cheeks at the old pet name.

"Please, don't call me Flynnie. You know I hate that."

She rolled her eyes,"Well, dazzle me then. I'm sure this one's a treat."

He nagged her lightly, still cleaning up the shattered metal.

"So the black rocks were leading Blonde...er..Rapunzel to this place called the Dark Kingdom."

Stalyan didn't look up,"Ooh~."

He squatted more firmly against the ground.

"And there's this magical artifact that was trapped in there because it was super dangerous.",he explained.

"Wow."

Eugene frowned at her, standing to his feet again as she did.

"...Well, go on with it, I'm listening.",she waved her hand lightly.

"Short version is that I took the Moonstone, that artifact, before Rapunzel could get to it because it killed my mother and it's dangerous and-",he felt his throat start to close.

Stalyan finally looked up at him, her eyes softer.

Restating all of this felt horrible, like reliving it over again.

He hated that he did this, but he had to do it.

He hated every part of this destiny.

He hated leaving Rapunzel.

He hated being alone out here.

Eugene looked down at Stalyan.

It felt odd facing her.

He normally had to look completely downward at Rapunzel when he spoke to her, as she was a good foot under him standing wise.

Stalyan forced him to stare right into her eyes, making him close up and feel his throat stitch shut.

He tried to settle his nerves in front of her.

"...Now I'm here. I just have to keep moving."

Stalyan frowned,"...And you're blue?"

He sighed, leaning against a nearby tree.

It wasn't that freaky looking, was it?

"Yeah. I guess I am."

Stalyan stepped closer, crossing her legs as she pet her horse.

"...I guess it'll grow on me. When are you going back to Blondie?",she ran her fingers through its mane.

Eugene stared at his closed hands.

"...Never."

Stalyan paused, looking back at him.

He tensed his fists, knuckles crackling.

Focus...just keep calm and focus...

"You aren't serious, are you?"

He found himself a bit surprised at her remark.

Stalyan had been forcing him into a wedding months ago, but here she was asking him if he was leaving his new girlfriend.

Rapunzel really worked wonders on people.

Eugene gave a solemn nod.

Stalyan narrowed her eyes,"You're really letting her go after all that?"

He grimaced, shouting.

"I have to!! You don't understand!!"

Rocks burst forth around him, frightening them both.

He panted, holding himself tightly.

Uncontrollable.

Destructive.

Horrible.

Monster.

He sunk to his knees, trying to maintain his strength and composure despite his aching body.

"...I...I had to leave. She'd get hurt if I didn't. She'd die.",he grit his teeth,"I want her to forget about me. To stop looking and keep herself safe in Corona. I want her to do everything she wants to."

Stalyan kept her distance, studying him more clearly now.

He didn't look back at her.

His eyes were trained on the small mountain range that had formed around him.

Would forming these always take so much out of him?

When Rapunzel had used the rocks to raise more spires from the earth, she was faint in a matter of seconds.

Was he rusty with it?

Did channeling anger and fear really make this take less energy and time?

He groaned, rubbing his forehead.

Hopefully he'd get the hang of this soon, or else a life on the run was going to be way more nights of being completely exhausted.

He was caught off guard as a black cloak was thrown over him, showering him in complete darkness for a moment.

"Stalyan, what are you-?"

She'd already started tying her things to the horse's back, her lips pursed.

"Well come on, pretty boy. You needed a bedroll."

Was she offering to take him shopping?

Considering it was the crown's money for him originally, this was fairly ironic.

Seeing Stalyan wanting to buy something for him was odd to say the least.

He couldn't remember her ever going out of her way to get anything material for him.

It was usually him spending his keep on her while she paraded around the things he got her.

In her defense, he stopped doting on her the older they became, but her behavior was consistent throughout.

He knew she liked her money, so he'd have to pick the cheapest bedroll he could find.

Unless she was bringing him to steal it, which while it made him feel guilty, he was fully prepared to do so without Rapunzel around.

This was for the good of the kingdom after all.

And it was a necessity steal, always the purest kind of thievery.

"You're taking me out?",he asked cautiously, his brow tilted.

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"Well, you have to save your princess and I'm not giving you mine. This is so you can't say I never did anything for you."

She paused a moment before smirking to herself.

"...Blame Princess Corona."

He fixed the cloak over himself, trying to work the shoulders over his spiked armor.

"I really appreciate it. Thank you, Stalyan.",he smiled at her softly, his face warm in the sunlight.

She stared into his eyes for a moment too long before chuckling it off.

"Don't sweat it. I'm not heartless.",she patted her beast of burden.

The horse snorted pompously as she fed it an apple.

"That's a nice horse." Eugene admired its coat for a moment as Stalyan prepared the saddle.

Her lips curled in a mischievous smile.

"It's not mine."

Stalyan looked down at him as she hopped onto its back, seemingly trying to gauge his expression. 

Eugene shook his head and shrugged.

"Well, he seems happy."

She'd already stolen the thing.

Was he really going to make her give it back with a simple scolding?

Sure he didn't approve of that kind of thing anymore, but this horse would be getting him somewhere.

The law was a bit flexible when you were trying to save a kingdom.

Stalyan seemed to light up with amusement at his response, teeth shining in a sly smile.

"Hello, Flynn Rider~! Ha. Blondie never let me hear the end of it when I tried to take one.",she brushed an auburn strand behind her ear,"That kid's a real angel."

He settled on the horse's back, offering a slight chuckle.

"She really is."

He paused a moment as her steed started its canter.

"Where are we going anyways? I lost my only map."

She snapped the reins, kicking the horse to give it a jolt of energy.

"Oh, just Elvador Peak. The hamlet by that tiny waterfall."

He froze a bit, flipping up his hood and gripping her waist.

"...Maybe I should just walk from there. Or..wait outside and you can just bring whatever you find to me.",he quickly rattled out.

Stalyan snorted, flipping up a hood of her own.

"You've been hanging around the princess too long. I'm wanted there too.",she tied her hair neatly into a ponytail beneath her cloak, expecting him to grab the reins while her hands were free.

Lucky for her, he did.

"Besides, who doesn't go to places they're wanted at?", she teased.

He rolled his eyes,"It's really not as fun when you're getting arrested."

She smirked, running her hands over his to take the reins again.

"Who doesn't resist arrest?"

He mocked her smile before scoffing, which she mimicked in turn.

Stalyan sighed and leaned forward, urging her mount to speed up.

"So when'd you stop liking jail time? I thought Flynn Rider was an expert locksmith."

He moved with her shift in position, gripping her waist tighter.

"I never liked jail time. I liked breaking out of jail time. I had a record you know. The cells they gave me just kept getting bigger and bigger security.",he found himself lightening up while reminiscing his exploits,"Fastest lock-pick this side of the country. Total legend."

Stalyan nodded.

"They said you had magic fingers~.",she added playfully.

"And they were right!",he grinned," Who was I to say otherwise~?"

They both laughed, the air warm and open to frivolity.

They recovered, sitting in silence for a few moments.

Only the rhythmic clop of her horse's hooves met the sounds of the breeze around them.

Stalyan rewrapped her fingers around the reins.

"...You really aren't that different."

His ears perked up.

She smiled to herself.

"...Back in Vardaros I thought you were a completely different person. I figured you were putting on a new face for the princess. New name...suddenly so against even being near me."

Her voice was pleasant in the breeze.

Familiar.

"I thought you'd stop hiding yourself and start being a thief again with me, not some royal lapdog like the pubs say you are.",she sighed,"But now that I'm with you, I feel like you're still here. You're just..more..real."

Curls of her dark hair revealed themselves from under the cloak hood.

"Flynn Rider was a devil may care rogue who broke hearts and records and took off with everything he could. And here he is, telłing me he's sorry for leaving. Thanking me for going to buy him a bedroll."

She chuckled.

"Its been ages since I felt like you were just laughing with me. I'm really talking to you.",she smirked," So you're still you. Just...better. That's how she makes you feel. Isn't it?"

He flushed a bit, fondly looking down, seeming to caress a memory.

"..Yeah.",he smiled,"...she does do that."

Thinking about Rapunzel made him long to stroke his fingers through her hair.

To kiss the crown of her widow's peak and dance around the room.

Watching her spin and shake her dress around, sharing her excitement in how it swayed and fanned out with every twirl.

Stalyan's voice urged him from his memories back to the present.

"I want that.",she spoke firmly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"..Want what?"

She clicked her tongue to chide him.

"To be real, Rider. I've got nothing better to do.",she stared back over her shoulder,"..Being honest, I like not being alone. You seemed to be drowning in friends and fortune when you changed. She had me thinking about it for a while now."

Stalyan smiled at him.

"I think you broke the scale for me."

For the first time in forever, looking at Stalyan smile like that was..encouraging.

Flattering even.

The last time he'd felt like this was as a dopey teenager trying to get his start in the world of thieving.

Her subtle laugh was soft through bright teeth.

At first seeing Stalyan had filled him with dread, but she was taking his mind off of his loneliness quite a bit.

And friendly conversation felt much better than talking to a ghost or moping around to nobody.

"Stalyan, if we're going to be friends again I need you to start calling me Eugene."

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's not happening.",she waved a finger at him, still firmly grasping the reins,"Flynn's your name. I'm not gonna start calling you some new name you made up."

He shook his head, sighing.

He really hadn't told her ever.

It was strange to think back on a time when only Lance knew his orphanage assignment name.

It was funny to think about how much he loved hearing his assigned name now as opposed to Flynn Rider.

He still remembered the day he'd come up with it and told Lance, who in turn had tried for weeks to come up with his own identity.

What kids wanted their awful names anyway?

Eugene Fitzherbert and Arnwaldo Schnitz.

Those caretakers must have had a sick sense of humor.

Rapunzel was the only reason he'd ever gone back to the name, because she said she liked it...

He stopped himself from dwelling too much on the moment.

Her voice on his ears, the way she said his name, hanging on every vowel...

He frowned, leaning closer to Stalyan.

"...My real name is Eugene, you know. Eugene Fitzherbert."

She brushed him off with a laugh,"Why on earth do you let people call you that? Every pub near Corona keeps joking about how Flynn Rider is a royal suck-up with a pansy name now. Everyone laughs when they hear it, you know. Lucky for you I've protected my reputation enough to keep it from spreading too much. After a few broken fingers that is."

So Stalyan was still a scary, hell-to-pay woman, noted.

"Stalyan, I'm serious. That's not something Blondie made up."

She gagged a bit.

Same old Stalyan.

"Please spare me the name thing, Flynn. Blegh."

His bottom lip hung a bit outward as he tensed.

Stalyan looked back and groaned a bit.

"I'm teasing, pansy. I'll call you whatever name you want.",she gently brought the horse to a trot.

"I just need to get used to it. EU-GEEN. Euuu-geeeen. Euge-",her lips flared as he groaned back.

"Alright, alright, you can call me Flynn. Just stop calling me Eugene. It's freaky.",he massaged the bridge of his nose,"And here I thought no one could be worse than the cobra-woman."

That did bring to mind another bonus of being on the road.

He'd never have to hear the ice-lady call him Fitzherbert again.

Thinking of Cass took his thoughts to his shoulder.

It felt...numb.

He'd forgotten about it for a while now.

Was it healed somehow?

Set maybe?

Did the Moonstone have healing powers too?

The jingle of Stalyan getting off the horse nearly startled him.

Right.

The bedroll.

He could ask the Moonstone spirit about it later.

Being in Elvador Peak again was not really what he expected.

Stepping one foot into Pincosta had led to him being thrown in jail in an instant.

Luckily for Stalyan and himself, no one seemed to pay them much attention, which was especially good, considering unlike at Pincosta, Rapunzel wouldn't have been there to bail them out.

So far so good.

Hoods were nice.

No the best when you were in a chase, but good for disguises.

Stalyan had told him to look around for whatever he wanted and to come back to her with it later to go over her losses.

Being handed an allowance was strange as a grown man, but he was flat broke, so he appreciated it.

It struck him as odd that Stalyan was actually paying for all of this.

Maybe this was dirty money that she had to get off her hands.

Maybe it was fake.

Or maybe she felt better spending their kingdom issued gold than dipping into her own pockets.

Eugene tried to fit as much as he could for survival into the allowance budget.

Bedroll, fishing net, bowstring and quiver of arrows, carving knife, hempen rope, water skin...

He stared down at what little gold he had left.

Should he buy lighter weapons?

Lugging around this greatsword was doable, but it was a pain to get used to.

It was unbreakable though, and could snap swords if he put enough pressure into it.

Cleaving was not really his style, and it was hard to imagine doing it non-lethally.

But a broadsword or rapier would cost a lot of money.

He was already only buying a bowstring to make a bow himself, weapons weren't cheap to come by.

He mourned the loss of his signature knife.

Fifteen years old with his name carved in it.

He missed his saber, one of the only gifts Cassandra had ever given him.

The broadswords he'd stolen off the prison barge...

What a waste of good weapons.

Why did the Moonstone burn up everything on him?

It couldn't have left him anything of his own?

And why was it his entire body that shifted?

The Sundrop had only affected Rapunzel's hair.

Why were they so different?

He grimaced, trying to reason with himself over what to buy next.

Lanterns were pointless, he could see perfectly well in the dark now.

...Which was creepy when he thought about it now.

Could he get cold enough for a blanket?

The armor seemed to shift to block out everything from his natural skin, and it had ventilated when he started overexerting himself.

Thinking...thinking...

What was cheap enough that he needed to press onward?

"Got you a present, Flynn. Ya know, in case that sword gets too heavy."

Stalyan tapped his shoulder, pulling something out of her cloak.

"Voilà!",she smiled, tapping his nose with a frying pan,"Corona approved!"

He rolled his eyes and flushed, making her pout and dangle the pan away from him.

"Yeesh. I'm being funny, Rider. Sorry to touch a sore subject."

He shook his head,"No, it's not that. I just don't really need that for...Rapunzel purposes. It'll help with cooking though, so thanks for that."

She nodded,"I'm sure it will."

He knew she could tell his initial reaction was from thinking about Rapunzel.

Frying pans were her thing after all.

Stalyan seemed to be trying to keep him happy and nice to her, so he wouldn't put off her efforts.

It felt weird to admit that a frying pan would be comforting to hold on lonely nights in the wild.

Mementos of lovers were normally much less...cooking oriented.

Stalyan peeked around him at his satchel, holding out her hand to ask for inventory totals.

He listed them off, the last item making her smirk.

"You really got a hand mirror?",she teased,"I thought you hated being blue."

He held up the small wooden frame, frowning at it.

"Well there's barely any mirror in it. More of a tchotchke than anything else I guess."

Saying it was a mirror was flattering. 

It was about as wide as a thin napkin and as small as one too.

He could see his face in it sure, but it wasn't a hand mirror.

An eyebrow mirror would be more apt, all things considered.

Another thing to mourn was his priceless hand mirror.

Silver, decorative, big.

He'd stolen it maybe six years ago from some duchess in a horse carriage.

The poor thing was burned up like the rest of his keepsakes.

At least he had the frying pan now.

The pan was a good reminder of everything that had happened today.

Reuniting and rekindling with an old friend.

Stalyan saddled up her horse again, making sure that she had fastened everything she'd boughten carefully.

"Looks like there's no room for me.",Eugene smiled a bit sadly,"...You're heading off on your own?"

She flipped her hood down, letting her hair flow freely in the light of the sunset.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Flynn, I'll be back when I feel like it. I can tell you're gonna get lonely on your whole virtuous quest, so I'll try to keep track of you if I can. You're heading where exactly?"

She held out her map to him, offering a piece of charcoal.

He walked over and marked the map for her, placing a large circle in a single area.

"Flynn, there's nothing in there but trees."

He nodded,"The Forest of No Return. Magical labyrinth full of deadly horrors and monsters and whatnot."

She frowned.

"...And why would you be heading there?",her thin nose scrunched skeptically.

He chuckled,"To be frank, I've decided on getting lost in there for the rest of my life maybe. Fun stuff, I know."

She gawked at him, wide-eyed.

The air hung a bit uncomfortably between them.

Stalyan shut her mouth, her wide stare turning into a confused frown.

"...Now I've been witness to some of your plans before..but Flynn...this has got to be the worst idea you have ever had. And I've known you since you were fourteen."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

He had come up with the idea while running away from the group.

Now that he thought about it, he had just gone with the first thing that popped into his head.

Acting on impulse had unfortunately become a trend with him recently.

The plan wasn't that horrible, was it?

The Moonstone had critiqued him for it.

"What's wrong with it?",he rubbed the back of his head.

Stalyan rolled her eyes, giving him a tired glare.

"You're just trapping yourself in a magical prison for your entire life?",she scoffed,"And you said there are monsters?? Why would you stay in a place with literal monsters? What about food? Keeping watch? Water to drink??"

He bit his lip harshly.

Huh.

Considering the place was a death trap meant to drive people insane, he really had no idea what was edible or not in there.

Only Adira had known, and he'd long forgotten whatever she'd had them eat.

Nearly everything was poisonous or alive.

He'd been swallowed by things he'd tried to sit on maybe twice every hour when he was in there last.

He grimaced a bit.

Pupshrooms.

Blegh.

Time did pass differently in the forest too.

Him losing the will to stay there could be months or years in his perception of time, but in reality only five minutes could have passed outside the woods.

His idea was mainly at a disservice to himself, hoping he'd just never be found, which was completely possible with the power of the forest.

However, that likely meant he'd end up dead.

The map to the forest was burned away with everything else, and that was only useful because of an enchantment.

Did Adira have more?

Could she make more?

Sure, folding a fortune-teller was easy enough that five year old girls did it regularly, but hopefully enchanting the paper took a lot of time.

What if it didn't take much time?

Even worse, if it did take too much time, Rapunzel would likely go off on her own and get eaten alive by living trees or mauled to death by giant spiders.

If she could survive, there was no telling she'd ever find a way out of there.

She couldn't before, after all.

He felt a large pit form in the bottom of his stomach.

No wonder the Moonstone spirit had scoffed at his proposal.

He'd been desperate to conceal himself without any thought into the domino effect that would create.

It relied too highly on good luck and favorable conditions.

He had at least three days as a head-start from the terrain of the Dark Kingdom.

He needed to get moving fast to keep that lead.

"Where do you suggest then?", he swallowed, tapping his side.

He was already getting jumpy again.

His stomach fluttered with a torrent of anxious impulses.

Stalyan chewed her nail, looking over the landscape on paper.

"Hmm. That's tough to pick a final destination."

He cracked his knuckles to get out his energy.

"I don't need that anymore. If Rapunzel is never giving up, which I know she won't, that means they're on a permanent manhunt. I need to keep running and out-moving them for the rest of my life. Taking care of the kingdom will have to become a priority and she'll be forced to abandon me at some point. But I know her. She'll send guards. She'll send Lance. She'll send the Captain. She'll send Cass. She'll send that stupid horse. And I'll never stop running. I can't afford to."

Stalyan stared quietly back at him, stunned.

He tried to ignore it.

Rapunzel had looked at him similarly when he'd gotten particularly intense back at the cliff edge.

Scary, inhumanly blue eyes were to blame, he assumed.

Stalyan took the charcoal back from him and scribbled something down on the map.

She jotted a note before rolling it up at handing it over to him.

"You need this more than I do. I picked an old spot of ours to meet up again. Don't go crazy on me, alright? I want to check up on you, Flynn."

He smiled at her, that flush warm in his cheeks again.

"...I promise.", his tone was softly tender.

Hopefully Stalyan took him as sincere, since his promises in the past weren't exactly...the most well kept.

Promises hadn't really meant much to him with anyone but Lance to a certain point back then.

Rapunzel was the only person he'd ever really seen hold promises to such a high degree.

Much like everything else she had to offer, it had rubbed off on him.

If he was lucky, she'd have rubbed that promise value off on Stalyan too.

Stalyan puckered her lips a bit coyly, a thin smile slithering into place.

"It's a date then, Rider.",she playfully smeared the charcoal stains from her fingers across his face, making him groan.

He swatted her away as she laughed, rearing up her horse to sprint.

"Enjoy the mirror for me~!"

He waved a fist at her angrily,"And here I was, about to thank you for giving me the map!! I oughta...!"

He wiped a hand down his face, pouting.

Typical Stalyan.

He cupped his hands around his mouth to shout.

" _YOU'RE LUCKY I'M NICE~!!_ ", he yelled.

Her voice rang back.

" _YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE ADORABLE~!!_ "

He sneered at her.

" _I'M ALWAYS ADORABLE~!!_ "

Her shout was softer from the distance between them, but her tone rang clear as day.

" _THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK~!!_ "

He watched her get smaller and smaller as she disappeared into the sunset.

Alone again.

"And I thought she'd never leave."

The girl rested on his shoulder, checking her dainty gloved hands.

"You do realize we're burning daylight. Rapunzel will come for you and end her life."

He squinted at the horizon.

"I know that. We have a little time."

He stepped forward, putting the map away.

"...I want to start my training tonight. I have to be ready for this."

She nodded, moving to face him once again.

"You must be. It's a shame that we don't have the Demanitus scroll to give you exactly what you desire. That was lost to time, long ago.",she frowned,"A pity, but we shall go on. The training is already difficult with you, but without the scroll, it is our only option."

His eyes widened.

The Demanitus scroll.

"...I know where that is.",he stared back at her.

The ghost seemed surprised.

"...Rapunzel has it. But...we can't read it.",he frowned,"There's only two incantations translated onto it. The healing one that doesn't work anymore, and the one that kills people. Everything else is Greek to me."

She smiled at him deviously.

"Your majesty, the Moonstone has two incantations, not one. And the Sundrop has three. However, Rapunzel has taken some of the Moonstone's power upon herself. And if the healing incantation has failed then...perhaps something interesting is occurring between the light and darkness."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Rapunzel took the Moonstone's power? You mean the new things her hair can do are all powers taken from the Moonstone itself? How would she get that?"

The girl sighed,"You really haven't figured it out?"

Rapunzel hadn't touched the Moonstone.

But she'd started gaining these powers since last year.

Since...

"She touched the rocks.",he answered himself.

The girl nodded,"They have given her their protective powers to lead her here. Her destiny is to die. Why else would they take her healing powers away?"

He frowned,"...So do you want Rapunzel to die, then? You are the Moonstone, aren't you? You're using a lot of 'they'."

She laughed behind her fan.

"I'm bound to the will of my master. Why else would I be helping you learn to control the destructive power of the stone? I'm leading you away from Rapunzel, aren't I?"

Eugene looked at the forearm leading up to his speared shoulder.

"You do want to save Rapunzel, don't you? You're giving up an awful lot for a cause you seem to be doubting now. As if your father hadn't warned you enough already.",she turned away from him,"So, no. I'm not all of the forces behind the Moonstone. I'm the force that is guarding over it. I've been connected to the Moonstone since it first fell to earth. I'm here to keep you sane and on the side of good, to keep the evil of the rocks in your power and not to run rampant across the earth."

He tightened his fist.

She was right.

She was helping him, all things considered.

And if she'd wanted Rapunzel to die, she'd have told him to kill her long ago, or would have rejected him in favor of her as a host body to destroy faster.

He sighed, feeling at his arm tenderly.

"...So you said the Moonstone sealed away Rapunzel's healing powers?"

His thumb rubbed the numbness of his shoulder.

"...Does that mean that I have it?"

She raised the fan again.

"I'm not all of the Moonstone, like I said. I'm not aware of that part of their intentions. Perhaps you do. She does have the Moonstone's protective power for herself. You could always try both incantations."

He narrowed his brow,"...She said she couldn't control the Moonstone incantation. Can you snap me out of it if I can't break it?"

She nodded.

He took a deep breath.

He'd only heard it once, so he tried his best to remember it.

" _...Wither..and....Decay..._ "

The Moonstone glowed brightly in response to his voice.

He held a gloved hand over it tightly, trying to stop that sinking feeling the stone would give off at times.

When he'd gotten the Moonstone at first, it felt like it had burrowed its way into his body, directly over his heart.

At times he felt its coil feel heavy in his chest, like some sort of parasite.

It reminded him of porcupine quills.

Digging deeper with more strain, twisting far into the flesh.

Most importantly, a pain to take out.

Rapunzel never felt pain with her Sundrop, or at least he assumed.

She'd felt faint before, but that was when the Moonstone was involved.

Was it different for her?

Perhaps she was closer linked with the artifact after it being with her since birth.

The flower had lost all of its power, as Varian had told her.

So that meant that the Sundrop was her, not an item anymore.

Was being the embodiment of a magic artifact that much different than it being grafted into your chest?

The Moonstone did feel more weighty, like a piece of equipment, but it was more than that.

It had physically affected him.

He could see in the dark.

His eyes and hair were bright blue with color.

This armor seemed to respond to his needs and stimulus around him.

And his mind and emotions could control the rock formations.

So was it that different?

He noticed the light start to dim, urging him to try and remember the rest.

The last time he'd heard it was when he was being strangled by a living tree vine, and then thrown twenty feet down onto hard rock.

Rapunzel's singing was something he could barely stay awake for.

It hurt to hear.

It hurt to keep his eyes open.

It hurt to breathe.

His body had been stricken with this odd stupor of fatigue, like his soul was threatening to leave his wake.

He'd been dead before, but this felt...unnatural...

Frightening.

Dying at the tower felt much different.

Sure he was in intense pain like with the incantation, but his body didn't felt like his soul was threatening to rip away from himself.

His limpness felt more gradual and earned, as morbid as that sounded.

Then again, he couldn't remember how his soul particularly felt in those moments.

He always described the event as his death.

But he couldn't recall what 'dying' was.

It was dark and cold.

He couldn't hear anything.

He was relaxed.

Honestly it felt like he was frozen there.

He remembered a lightness about his chest in that moment.

Perhaps that was his soul.

This warm light coaxing him to stay put and wait, leading him to settle in his mortal state.

So, was that dying?

It felt so...calm.

Was there really just nothingness, or had he not gotten there to see for himself?

Would this Moonstone incantation hurt him too?

He looked up at the ghost, biting his lip.

"...I...I don't remember the rest. I'm sorry."

She sighed and threw out her fan with a snap.

An illusory scroll formed into blue, spectral text for him to read out.

He took another breath and cleared his throat, his hand shaking.

" _..Wither and Decay..._ "

The girl glared at him disapprovingly.

"You have to sing louder. It's fueled by your anger. You can't let your nerves ruin your tone.",she scolded.

He stifled the remark he'd thought about how singing wasn't something he did often for the sake of progressing the spell.

" _End this destiny..._ ",his voice was clearer with husk on each word.

"Good."

She moved over him, assessing the light of the Moonstone.

Eugene gripped it harsher.

" _Break these earthly chains..._ "

The stone shone brightly, it's pulse strong enough to send tremors through him.

" _And set the spirit free..._ ",he closed his eyes, his voice hanging like a whisper, anxious in anticipation of a loud reprise.

"FINISH IT!",she clenched her fists.

" _THE SPIRIT FREE~!!_ ",his voice boomed, hanging on the sentence.

The stone burst with light, illuminated everything around him as it flashed with electricity.

The brilliant cerulean turned a dark black, and suddenly everything was dark.

His vision was completely black.

He couldn't see a thing.

His body felt heavy, as if something were dragging him down.

The weight centered around his chest, the claw of the Moonstone now stronger than ever.

Breath seemed to leave him, and that soul lifting feeling was back again.

He gasped for air against an unmoving body, the world seeming to close in completely around him.

No matter how much he tried to speak or even breathe, he couldn't will himself to act.

Something seemed to be keeping his soul in place, despite how weak he was.

Was the Moonstone keeping him safe from the spell?

Rapunzel never hurt when she sang it, so was that happening for him?

He reasoned that his soul was attempting to rip itself free, but the Moonstone, completely inorganic, was tethering the soul to its body.

The Moonstone seemed to be what was absorbing all of this life force of Rapunzel's hair had made anything clear.

So it could differentiate between a host body and the other souls it could harvest?

Was he the same as Rapunzel now?

An embodiment of an artifact?

His mind raced, strangled by the blackened world around him.

How long had he been chanting the spell for?

Wasn't the spirit going to stop him?

What if she had been trying, but he was trapped like this?

Could she hear him call for her?

What was taking so long to do??

He snapped free from the incantation, panting.

His tongue felt loose, as if he'd been talking for an hour straight.

"What happened?",he rubbed his eyes.

"See for yourself."

He looked around himself.

The grass was a dull, lifeless gray, fragile and stiff.

Trees rotted around him, their once firm bark now a muddy tar-like mush.

Birds were strewn around him, plucked right out of the sky.

Other small creatures lay within the wilted plants and ruined trees.

He paled in horror at his actions.

The girl turned back and smiled pleasantly at him.

"Your power is remarkable for just starting out with incantations. Excellent work. I'm very proud of you."


	6. Chapter 6

_"Eugene!! No..no..no..it's okay. I've got you."_

_Rapunzel frantically rushed to hold him, scooping him as much into her arms as she could manage._

_She hugged him tightly, whimpering._

_"Flower gleam and glow...let your power shine..."_

_She tensed as he stifled a grunt under his breath._

_"..Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine..."_

_She brushed his bangs, her heart pounding._

_Her hair wasn't glowing._

_She had all the hair this time but it wasn't working._

_Rapunzel sped through the rest of the incantation, feeling his blood pool against her._

_He groaned._

_Tears streamed down her face._

_"...It hurts...",he whined breathlessly, looking up at her in tired desperation._

_She pressed a hand to his cheek sniffling._

_"...Flower gleam and glow...",she trembled against him, whispering the mantra again and again._

_"R..pun...zel..."_

_She tried again, trying to breathe through her tears._

_"I'm..hurting...",he whined softly._

_Her hand shook against his lukewarm cheek._

_Her nails dug into his skin to keep herself from slipping._

_"This wasn't like this...",she muttered in disbelief,"...I...I'm supposed to save you."_

_He stared at her weakly through half lidded eyes._

_The air felt heavy and damp with regret._

_There was no light around anything other than them._

_He grit his teeth, wincing._

_"I'm sorry. I'm helping, don't worry. I'm so sorry...",she whimpered._

_Warm blood soaked the corset of her dress, leaking down to stain the flair beneath it._

_The red felt thick like soup, deeply staining her clothes to touch her covered skin._

_He looked pale and frail beneath her._

_She desperately tried to heal him with her song again, wrapping her hair around him, rubbing it over him, and eventually forcing her hands down over the wound directly._

_Eventually she wept openly over her hands pressing the gushing wound._

_"You're safe, Blondie."_

_Rapunzel looked down at him through teary eyes._

_He smiled at her sweetly._

_"I saved you. You're free.",he stared up at her,"Go out there and live the life you've always wanted."_

_She gripped him tightly._

_"No, no, Eugene..! I'm not leaving you here!"_

_His brown eyes were soft and knowing._

_"Get your dream.",he smiled._

_"But...I don't want to find a new dream...",she bit her lip,"I can't live without you..!"_

_He didn't seem to react, still smiling in that knowing way he always did._

_His blood flooded around her like a river, slow but a constant rush of pressure._

_She tried to put weight on the puncture, but stopped when he yelped in pain._

_Thus the crimson waterfall continued to flow._

_"No, Rapunzel. You need to be protected.",his voice resonated a bit with her father's,"You're too important to lose. You can't save anyone."_

_She gasped, staring terrified into his eyes._

_Those mature, soft eyes._

_Those eyes that were willing to die for her._

_Over and over again._

_"No! No, I can save you! Please, just let me!!", she begged._

_Visions flashed around her of memories she recognized._

_Eugene._

_Over and over again._

_She saw herself letting him make a death wish to go save her parents in the blizzard alone._

_She saw him throwing her out of the way of threat after threat._

_She saw him shielding her again and again._

_These visions twisted to paint him dying in each event._

_"No!",she blurted, her eyes red and clouded with tears._

_"Rapunzel, I'm so cold...._

_...Rapunzel, I can't breathe.._

_..Don't let me fall..._

_..Rapunzel, you're hurting me..._

_...Rapunzel, my legs..._

_..I can't move..._

_...Rapunzel, get behind me.._

_...Rapunzel, I'm so tired..._

_...I have to save you..."_

_She clutched the Eugene in her arms close to her, crying and reaching out for the rest._

_This had to be a nightmare._

_Just a nightmare._

_Not another omen._

_Please, not another bad omen._

_"I'm sorry, Blondie!"_

_His voice ripped her from her weary weeping._

_His voice._

_Her Eugene._

_He sounded louder and clearer than all the rest._

_She whipped around to face him, the Eugene in her arms somehow disappearing._

_Her Eugene stood many yards away, his hands wrapped in her hair._

_His hair was bright blue like his eyes, armor clad and wearing that same expression._

_That scared look._

_The 'I don't want to do this but I have to' look._

_His other 'Let me do this for you and don't try to stop me' look._

_The savior look._

_"Eugene!!! Please, just listen to me!!",she pleaded,"We can work through this together! Don't run off on your own! I'm here! I love you!!"_

_He stared back at her, fretful and terrified._

_She stepped closer._

_"Eugene, I promise!"_

_She felt a chill at her neck._

_"Promise?",a new voice entered._

_She whipped around again to face him._

_"Varian..",her voice was almost stolen from her throat._

_He glared at her, bitter in the remains of his automaton fleet and home laboratory._

_Fire licked around him as he gripped his staff tensely._

_"You don't keep your promises.",he snarled._

_"Varian, I-"_

_She was frozen by the ghoulish scream to her right._

_Cassandra clutched her forearm, grimacing as she fought through the searing pain of her burnt hand._

_"Cass!",Rapunzel reached towards her, her friend stepping away._

_Cass took a steadying breath before coldly glaring back at her, now fully composed._

_She held up her hand, almost like a trophy._

_Letting her know that she did this._

_It was her fault._

_"She can't save anything.",Cass spoke flatly, a chilling edge to her words._

_Rapunzel covered her mouth with one hand._

_"You're too important, Raps. A princess needs protection.",she echoed her father like Eugene had before._

_Rapunzel shook her head, covering her mouth with both hands now._

_"Rapunzel....."_

_Eugene stared at her weakly, the shadow blade deep in his shoulder, pouring a river of blood._

_"You can't help me, Blondie...",he stared at her with wide, blue eyes._

_A torrent of rocks threw her back, sending her into a sea of red iron._

_She choked and gasped for air, trying to reach up to the cliff far above._

_Eugene looked over the edge, his figure blurred from the distance._

_She begged him to help her._

_To wait._

_He dwelled there for a moment before turning away._

_She screamed._

_"EUGENE!!"_

She shot awake, her heart pounding like a snare drum.

She trembled, panting hard, her skin slick with sweat.

Pascal squeaked at her frightfully from down below.

Her eyes darted downwards.

This was horrifyingly familiar.

She yelped at the sight of her feet suspended far off the ground.

Her hair coiled in thick ropes around her neck and waist, hoisting her by her scalp into the air.

She kicked and clawed at herself trying to set herself free.

Eugene had caught her the last time this happened, and that was by pure luck that he was even there in time.

If he hadn't arrived...

She figured her hair would have shielded her from falling out of a tower thousands of feet off the ground, but it was still a scarring experience.

Every time her hair did this, every time she had omen nightmares...

She'd feel herself shaken to the very core.

Varian...

Now Eugene...

Tears threatened to stain her sun kissed cheeks.

"Hey, Raps, we-Rapunzel!!"

She screamed as she dropped, Cass diving quickly to catch her.

Rapunzel clung to her tightly, scooping her into a close embrace.

"Cass...Cass, I'm so sorry..", she cried over her shoulder, clutching her in a fierce grip.

Cass initially squirmed to try to stand them both up, but Rapunzel hung on for dear life.

She trembled like a leaf, whining a soft terror to her.

Cass took a deep breath, trying to assess what had just happened and comfort her friend at the same time.

"...Raps, it'll be okay. Is that normal? Has that happened to you before?"

Cass had never seen it like that.

She'd never bothered to tell her.

She didn't like attacking the things that bothered her.

Her entire life she'd had to cope with disappointments and fears by pushing them under the rug.

That wasn't proving to be an easy habit to break.

She didn't want to talk about it.

She was scared.

If Eugene were here he'd make her feel better without a word.

He'd hold her close and pet her hair while she cried.

He would grip her firmly and rub down her back, massaging her small shoulders with his strong hands.

He'd let her rest in the crook of his neck, quiet until she was ready to answer him.

She knew Cass wasn't meaning to make her anxious, she was trying to help in the way that she knew how.

Eugene knew about the crazy hair terrors, she didn't.

Holding Cass firmly did help ease her racing heartbeat.

She was strong and well built, making a sturdy frame to cling to for support.

She was softer than Eugene, but that wasn't making the hug any less comforting.

Cass had a hard time with displays of affection, so not throwing her off of the hug was a big step for her.

Was she making her uncomfortable?

She couldn't help that she needed physical attention to calm down, she was touch deprived.

Hugs and handholding made her feel safe and wanted.

She didn't want to burden Cass with her issues though.

...There it was again.

Her being a burden.

"Raps..I promise it'll be okay. Is it about Eugene? Your powers? Are you homesick?"

She sniffled, wiping her nose with her forearm.

She retreated from Cass hesitantly, deciding to grip herself instead for the sake of her friend's comfort.

"...Since I touched the black rocks...I've been having these...",her eyes shone a soft green.

She bit her tongue.

"It's not important. My hair floats sometimes. I don't know why, but let's move on.", she looked away from her for a moment.

Rapunzel took a quick breath before putting on a brave face.

"Let's get ready to hit the road. We gotta get moving if we're gonna catch up to him!", she smiled.

Cass seemed to see through her act.

Her pale hazel eyes were tender, a rare sight to see with her.

"Raps, you can tell me what really happened. We don't need anymore secrets or something to make us not trust each other."

She was right.

Trust was an iffy thing now.

She sighed, brushed back a loose strand of hair.

How should she explain this?

"My hair did this before. Back at the castle. I would get these scary dreams and my hair would...come alive or something. First it just flew everywhere, then I hurt Pascal...then it took me out my window and hung me over my balcony in the air.."

She covered her mouth with one hand, chewing against her thumb knuckle.

"I think they came from the rocks. It's always a bad omen..and my fears..all....mixed together. I just saw Eugene so much last night and I just..."

Her hand shook.

"...I miss him. It's barely been a few hours and I miss him. I'm scared. I'm really _really_ scared. If he gets hurt out there he's all alone. Anything could happen to him out there. He could be tempted, or lost, or killed."

Rapunzel grimaced.

"What if he's starving out there?? Does he miss me?? I don't understand why he didn't trust me to-"

She buried her face in her hands, whimpering.

Cass sat quietly, moving closer and placing a hand on her back.

She pat her periodically, offering slight rubs in the meantime.

It was clear that she was making an effort.

"I'm such a burden...I'm sorry.", Rapunzel sniffled.

"You aren't a burden, Raps."

Cassandra ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry. We'll track him down, and I'll give him an earful or a punch to the face. Ya like that?", she chuckled.

Rapunzel sighed, looking up at Cass.

"...What if we can't save him? What if Zhan Tiri gets the Moonstone?"

Cass's brow furred deeply.

Her expression lessened its intensity as she lightly slugged Rapunzel's shoulder.

"We haven't lost yet, and we never give up.", she smiled, "Plus, if anyone's missing you, it's got to be Fitzherbert. He's a lost puppy, that one."

Rapunzel felt herself smile and blush a bit at the notion.

"Really?", she asked to comfort her pounding heartbeat.

"Raps, this is Eugene we're talking about. He's more in love with you than he with himself, and that's a huge feat."

Cass assessed her friend's expression before continuing.

"He's a good man. The guilt'll eat him alive. I don't think his lovesick self could last more than a week out there knowing he hurt you."

Rapunzel flushed deeper.

Her heart slowed to a jumpy pitter patter in her chest, dancing around her lungs.

It wasn't like Eugene to make her sad.

Her brow curled.

But it was perfectly like him to sacrifice himself for her, despite however sad it may make her.

This was another tower to him.

But she wouldn't let it be.

"Are we ready to go?", she asked, determined.

Pascal leapt onto her shoulder, nuzzling her to give her encouragement.

He was always there for her.

Cass nodded, "The King hasn't left yet, he's waiting on us for breakfast, so we need to head out before he figures out the ruse. Adira is planning on stalling him for a while to give us a head-start."

It made her sad that Adira was staying behind, for more reasons than just missing her company.

Adira clearly knew much more about the situation than she was letting on.

She knew more about the Moonstone than any of them did.

It was almost like an out to stay back and rejoin the group later.

She'd even said she might look for Eugene herself and not regroup at all if it suited her better.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her like Cass did, it was more than she was fed up with being kept from answers.

Especially at a time like this, why would Adira bother to keep secrets anymore?

Her boyfriend was in danger!

Rapunzel gave Cass her word, readying her things to leave.

She felt bad about lying to a man that claimed to be Eugene's father, but she had to protect her beloved.

Lying to this person was just something she had to do to save him.

Trust seemed to be on the line for her more and more.

Rapunzel took a deep breath.

A small, scaly nudge calmed her nerves a bit.

She laughed, rubbing Pascal with her fingertip.

"I know, buddy. We're gonna be doing things differently if we want to catch up to Eugene. And that means no breakfast for now.",she cooed, "..I'm nervous too. But we've got a great team to take on any challenge nature throws us!"

He squeaked as she held her stomach a bit.

Her hunger would have to wait for a better time to be an issue she'd be dealing with.

For now, taking off was the most important.

Rapunzel met her friends in the hallway, the trio heading for the exit to the castle walls.

Black rocks littered the empty palace, morbidly staining what was already a gothic decorum.

Lance frowned, staring at the old paintings and architecture around them.

"I don't get it. If that guy in there hasn't lost his mind, that means Eugene is the prince of all this? Are we even sure this is a kingdom? There's nobody here!", he gestured towards the wide space around them, "And second, why on earth would he be running from all the money he's inheriting? Sure this place is all drab and dusty, but it pays real well to be a prince!"

Cass rolled her eyes.

"It's called stealth, genius, that means no talking. No one even believes that Eugene is a prince anyways, and for good reason too."

Rapunzel anxiously gripped her satchel strap, glancing back over her shoulder over and over again to check for movement.

They were far away from where Adira was speaking with King Edmund, but Cass took her role as coordinator very seriously.

It comforted the princess a bit to assume that Cass was probably shot with nerves like she was so she didn't feel so alone.

Lance gave Cass a hard side-eye, not sharing the sentiment.

Maybe talking was his way of feeling better.

It wasn't like she knew.

Lance never hung around her much before this road trip.

He was always off with Eugene or away whenever she was looking.

So sure she knew him, but she didn't know him.

His tells were a complete mystery.

She stared at him intently.

Eugene and he were like brothers in the past.

Could he tell that Eugene was going to take the Moonstone before it happened?

Were there important things about Eugene that she didn't know?

Intimate things....like, how to reach him better?

She shook her head.

No,no.

Lance knew an older version of Eugene.

Her boyfriend had told her that Lance and him were trying to reconnect, but the Flynn Rider shift had been a bit of a barrier.

The Rapunzel shift might have been more apt.

Eugene would also remind her often about how different he used to be, how she'd completely changed him.

She believed him, but truthfully he didn't act very different from what she could tell.

He wasn't a criminal, and he didn't roll his eyes or scoff at her anymore.

He didn't lie to her, and he was very open and affectionate now.

He was very concerned with making amends.

But besides that, she didn't really see a difference firsthand between the accursed Flynn Rider and the better Eugene Fitzherbert.

She frowned deeper.

How much did she really know about him?

Eugene never talked about his past to her unless she pried into it.

Sometimes he'd slip a thing or two, but her picture of his life was a nearly blank canvas.

He'd been turned to crime from a poor, underfunded orphanage.

He’d been partners with Lance, apparently from the same place.

He'd read stories to other children during his time there and made himself an identity.

He was in debt to the Baron.

At some point he ran off with Stalyan and rejected her at the altar.

That was about all she knew about him.

She wanted to know how he thought.

That would certainly make this easier.

She knew he was doing this for her sake, because of the chance she might die.

But she wanted to know more than that.

She was deeply in love with Eugene, but she wanted to know his entire story.

He didn't like opening up or talking much when a few words would suffice, unless he was conning someone.

Did he feel alone?

Was it her fault?

She wanted to know the inner workings of his decision making.

The workings for the kind that hurt her.

She knew it was a 'I must for her own good' virtue for the most part, but he had to have some kind of push.

Something made him not want to marry her after the incident with Stalyan.

Something made him ignore her pleas to run away now.

Was this the king's fault?

Or was Eugene still just driven by purely love for her?

Why did he not value himself at all over her?

Why was he worthless?

She didn't believe him to be that at all.

His presence took a considerable hold in her mind.

Seeing him hurt made her lash out.

Seeing him scared made her anxious.

Did he not realize her feelings towards him?

How much she cared for his safety?

How much it broke her heart seeing him place himself in death's path again and again?

How she felt this pain, searing in her very soul, every time she heard him scream, whine, or wince from harm?

His voice, let alone his entire being, was enough to completely affect her.

He didn't know how often her mind went back to the tower.

To before she'd met him, horrible nights of her, weak and trapped in a dream she couldn't escape.

To his death, long terrible nights of wailing and screaming for it to end how it had in reality.

She couldn't take the sight of him on the floor in pain, even if he was awake and woundless. 

He hadn't taken a scratch at the Great Tree, but his moaning from her incantation had sent her heart into a sickening race.

His single groan was what drove her to ignite that horrible spell in the first place.

She was desperate to keep him safe and wasn't risking another option.

Did he know how much she'd cried over him since he'd taken the stone?

Seeing his body speared on a sword...

All the blood that followed...

It made her lightheaded and teary even thinking about it.

_Blood._

She hated blood.

_Warm..awful..red..putrid..blood._

She hadn't seen much blood before _that_ horrible moment.

Eugene could gloat and joke about dying to Cass and the rest, but she was always silent in an attempt to ignore it.

How could he not see his sacrifice in the same light that she did?

Was she too fragile, and he was more world weary?

Was he coping that way?

She doubted that his death terrified him in any way, as he willingly threw his life away over and over again for her sake.

He'd always smile at her with that knowing look.

That calm, collected stare.

His eyes were always soft and secure, warm enough to rip her heart in two.

How could you keep that face while you bled out?

While your lover felt the froth pooling out of your flesh?

She nearly gagged.

_Blood._

_Peeling his shirt away..._

_The fast spreading red.._

How could he have been so calm while she wailed?

Was she a bad partner for being scared of death for herself?

He was completely against her making sacrifices, but how was that any fair?

If he could wrench her heart out, she surely could do the same.

Just because she was crown princess didn't mean she couldn't throw her life away for her friends.

She was tired of being told to sit back while her friend's risked their lives and threatened death itself.

She'd sacrificed herself for Cass back on the road, but Cassandra had quickly recovered her soul again.

She wanted to be the martyr if there had to be one.

Her friends did not need to put themselves up as a lamb in her place as long as she had a say in it.

She'd out herself on the line in the Great Tree for that very reason.

But Cass wasn't like that.

Only she and Eugene were.

Cass hated the sacrifices.

Her plans were always 'We all live or we’re not going with this'.

There was no 'step up to die for us'.

Was she right for thinking as such?

Rapunzel's martyrdom had cost her a hand and destroyed the entire Great Tree.

So who was right?

Eugene, most likely.

He did it for her, so she had to for him.

What he did was pure love.

And if she was being a good friend or soulmate, that was showing love.

She had to do it.

"Saddle up guys."

Her mind broke from its deep dive at the sound of Cass's voice.

Maximus and Fidella awaited them, poised and ready to take off into the canyons below.

Rapunzel swallowed hard and steadied herself.

She had to let her fear for his well being become an anchor for her journey.

She couldn't let it hold her back, it had to drive her forward.

Stay positive.

He'd be in her arms in a second.

They'd kiss...

He'd apologize..

She'd forgive him..

And they'd be stronger for it.

Cass offered her a lift onto Max's back, Lance taking Fidella.

Riding with Cass on Max again reminded her of times back in Corona, but she stopped her mind before it could bring her any grief.

"You know what you're gonna say to him?", her knight glanced back at her.

Rapunzel frowned.

"...Um...well...",she tensed her tongue behind her bottom teeth.

"Hopefully not something to scare him off again. Cassandra.", Lance rolled his eyes at her.

Cass scowled, "Will you give it a rest already, Strongbow?! I did what I had to! Would you have rather had me kill him??"

Rapunzel groaned, throwing her hands in the air.

"Alright, alright! We aren't going to get anywhere if we keep fighting! I'm sure Eugene is very hurt and Cass is very sorry, so we should try our best to find him as soon as possible!"

They grew quiet, shooting each other quick glances before heading out on horseback.

The first step was to follow the rocks.


	7. Chapter 7

Eugene steadied his breath, holding a hand over his shoulder.

Focus.

The girl nodded, displaying the illusory scroll for him to read.

_"Flower gleam and glow...let your power shine..."_

She clasped her hands together, marveling at the glow of his hair, watching it flow freely like a petal blossom.

"Good."

His brow knotted with strain.

Rapunzel made this look so easy.

He still felt drained from the Moonstone incantation he'd performed the night prior.

He grit his teeth harshly.

_"...make the clock reverse...bring back what once was mine.."_

This was starting to give him a headache.

He'd been trying to work with the Moonstone all morning, yet this healing incantation failed every time.

If Rapunzel couldn't do it and she had the Moonstone's powers, he figured that meant he could wield the Sundrop's core ability.

He'd feel it work halfway before shutting off, making the whole endeavor fruitless.

All he could really manage with the song was to make his hair glow, and that was after trying all morning.

"Focus. Use your hatred."

He grimaced.

That didn't make any sense.

The purpose of the spell was to heal, why would hatred fuel its power as well? 

No..that wasn't it.

It was the damn stone.

Rapunzel could freely cast her incantations without feeling anything it seemed.

The Moonstone had dealt him a bad hand, and he needed an emotion to fuel its power.

But that didn't make sense either.

Demanitus had said that Rapunzel's power was by faith, but that was too broad to mean anything at all.

If the Sundrop was a force for pure good dropped onto the earth, and the Moonstone was its wicked compliment, then why wouldn't their fuels be opposites?

More literally, faith had to do with...love then?

That made the most sense.

Rapunzel's shield powers only activated when she was protecting him and Cassandra from danger.

Was that how she'd brought him back as well?

Her powers were strongest with love?

Then by that line of thinking, he had to act completely with hate.

But that was impossible for him to do.

His heart would always be filled with love for protecting his girlfriend.

But his powers had acted when he was panicked or dying...

So with that in mind, his love-hate conclusion was far too narrow.

Demanitus' theory was too narrow as well.

Based on what went into powering them, the Sundrop ran off of entirely positive emotions, while the Moonstone powered from all negative ones.

A perfect yin yang.

So his fear and anger weren't the only things that could fuel it.

It could be channeled by any other strong negative feeling.

If his theory was right, that still didn't have an effect on the incantations, which were separate from things like controlling the rocks.

However, it did mean he had a better chance at controlling his powers now.

He stopped attempting the spell after another failure, instead putting his hands against the dirt and shutting his eyes tightly.

The girl frowned, floating down beside him.

"Why are you stopping? You can't quit now. You've done nothing so far."

He tried to ignore her.

The only negative emotion he really could focus well on was his grief.

Sadness drove his entire journey and weighed heavily on him at every moment in it.

If he was right, his feelings would be a perfect way to channel the rock's power.

Rapunzel was an easy thing to focus on to make himself feel something.

Unfortunately, bringing her to mind brought boundless happy memories.

He narrowed his brow.

Being without her...

Seeing her cry...

The thought of anything happening to her...

Never meeting her....

He grit his teeth.

Rapunzel hating him...

Rapunzel missing him...

Rapunzel, afraid of him....

What he hoped were his last moments with her were abandoning her after she begged him to stay.

That was the last thing he would ever say to her.

That was the last thing he would ever do with her.

Leaving her when she wanted him most.

He was horrible and he knew it.

Even if there was no other way, he broke her heart in his effort to save her.

She was a fragile flower, mostly when it came to emotions.

Her big green eyes would always give her away.

Those eyes that sparkled...

Glared...

Wept..

He knew she hated bringing up anything that bothered her to others.

How was she taking his betrayal?

Cass wasn't exactly easy to talk to, and she herself couldn't open up much to anyone.

He doubted Lance was of any help, he and Rapunzel didn't have that close of a relationship.

Adira spoke in cryptic riddles and with a condescending wisdom.

No one was there for her but the frog.

And he couldn't even talk.

What, was Maximus going to console her?

His heart felt heavier at the full scope of pain he'd put on her.

She had no one to confide in, she was betrayed, she was abandoned, and her answers were ripped from under her feet.

Picturing his Blondie crumbling under the emotional pressure made him kick himself internally.

Why was this his destiny??

Why did this have to be his destiny??

He wanted Rapunzel.

He wanted a wedding.

He wanted a family.

He wanted a grand, cushy castle he could spend the rest of his days in, well-fed, pampered, wanted, secure.

He wanted to relax and rest for many many years, sharing the company of his beloved until they were both old and gray.

None of that could happen.

Not anymore.

Her safety was more important than any of his desires.

His mind flashed back to where it all began, reading Flynn Rider books at the orphanage.

Flynn Rider...

The greatest hero who ever lived.

The wealthiest man in the continent.

The man who could have everything he ever wanted.

Anything.

Everything.

As a kid with nothing to his name, having everything sounded like the perfect dream.

In this moment, he felt the sting more than ever before.

Flynn Rider could have everything.

He could save the day and win the girl.

He could rescue a dame and take home treasure.

He never had to give up anything.

Things just worked out for him.

His life was perfect, exciting, pure wish fulfillment.

Eugene Fitzherbert was luckless since the day he was born.

A mother he never knew, murdered.

Poor, hopeless orphan.

Never adopted.

Turned thief.

Wanted in nearly every place on the map, and with nothing to show for his exploits.

In mountains of debt to the deadliest highway Baron in the seven kingdoms.

Now loveless and homeless once again.

Nothing like Flynn Rider.

He was never like Flynn Rider.

No matter how much he'd told himself.

No matter how many languages he'd learned.

No matter how many times he'd rehearsed pick up lines.

No matter how many things he'd stolen.

No matter how happy he'd been.

He never was Flynn Rider, and he would never be Flynn Rider.

Because Flynn Rider was never real.

He'd been in denial nearly his entire life about becoming Flynn.

As a kid he believed he could become his hero if he tried.

If he stole enough and made enough money.

He could live on an island somewhere with lots of food and friends.

But that never came.

And it would never come.

He'd spent most of his life completely alone, save for Lance and Stalyan occasionally at his side.

No one liked him.

He had nothing.

Rapunzel was the paradise he'd always dreamed about that Stalyan couldn't give him.

Sure Stalyan was pretty and had loads of money, perfectly fine for his younger self, but Rapunzel was more.

He'd been horrible to Stalyan, and she'd been likewise to him, but they were moral barren thieves who cared far too much about pleasing themselves once they got old enough.

He left her at the altar because he wanted more.

He was unhappy.

Some sliver of a soul inside him realized that he couldn't love a woman for her wealth and body alone, even if he'd loved her for more than that in the past.

The puppy love he'd felt for Stalyan was like a dream.

Fleeting, brief.

Bringing about the harsh reality of his emptiness as a human being once he woke up from it.

The Flynn Rider bubble.

Something unreal that chained him down in a cycle of loneliness and dissatisfaction, reaching for a dream that would never come true.

Cassandra was right about him.

At least...about his pre-Rapunzel self.

He did just wait for things to happen to him.

He waited for his destiny.

He worked too hard for something unreal in the hopes that this reality would fall into his lap.

He did nothing to deserve it.

Cass had been referring to his time mooching in the castle, but she was right completely.

He'd refuted her at the time, but looking at himself now...

He was given so much that he didn't deserve.

His fate was to be dissatisfied.

He was born with nothing to help him along.

So he stayed there.

Bottom class.

Worthless.

He wasn't blessed for greatness.

You couldn't do anything noteworthy without a standing, but he denied it repeatedly for the romance that was Flynn Rider.

As if trying hard enough would be enough.

He didn't deserve anything.

He didn't deserve to stay at the castle, let alone have his bed there.

He didn't deserve to enroll in the guard program.

He didn't deserve to be pardoned for all his crimes with the snap of a tiny, freckled finger.

He didn't deserve the woman that made it happen.

Rapunzel deserved better.

She deserved more from the world.

She was a princess.

She was a savior. 

She had a magical destiny.

Why on earth would she happily marry a filthy rogue like himself?

Why would they have a family?

That didn't make sense in the real world.

That was a Flynn Rider kind of story.

So it had to end.

She'd find love again, in a better man.

A man she deserved.

And he would do what he did best.

Giving himself up for her.

He was worthless anyways.

She was far too important.

Far too kind, far too beautiful...

Far too lovely for him to let her die.

That fateful encounter at the tower was clear as day to him still.

He cut her hair to keep her safe.

He didn't want to risk letting her heal him if it would keep her trapped with that witch of a mother.

It didn't matter if he died.

He had a death sentence on his head besides that, so there was really no other choice.

He didn't want to be a criminal anymore.

So he'd gladly give up his life so that she could live.

He'd imagined her happily dancing in the square again.

Finding friends and delighting in all that was around her.

Too innocent for this world to be kept inside, locked away as a prisoner.

She deserved the world.

He deserved to die.

It was as simple as that.

He hadn't known she would heal him.

He'd accepted that he never got to kiss her.

He'd decided that she was better off with anyone else in the kingdom.

She'd get over him soon, hopefully.

Saving her accomplished what he could of his new dream.

Just keeping her alive and setting her free was enough.

That was why he let her know that he loved her before he passed.

Declaring that she was his new dream felt like good last words.

Speaking your heart always made for good last words.

He had expected her to say them back to him.

He hadn't expected to spend two years with her after.

His throat felt tight, strangling him.

He didn't deserve her.

Rapunzel deserved better.

She'd find someone better.

He choked at the thought.

Clearly he still had a damn ego.

He needed to accept that she could and would find someone better.

And that it would be fine.

Sure he'd never hold her in his arms again.

He'd never run his hands through her hair.

He'd never see her blush.

He'd never hear her laugh.

He'd never hear her sing.

He'd never see her smile.

He'd never hold her hands.

He'd never feel those soft, small fingers and toes again.

He'd never feel her lips.

The way her pucker was so soft and delicate..

The way her front teeth would press against her bottom lip...

The way she clearly smiled when she kissed, and he could feel every curve of it...

She'd do all of that with another person.

Someone else would be the first name on her lips and in her heart.

Hopefully she'd forget about him.

His existence would be long forgotten and dead as she warmly cherished her new lover.

Her new best friend.

Her new partner.

Eugene clawed the earth with gloved fingers, his knuckles white under the armor.

He-

"Bravo~! It looks like someone is suiting his powers quite nicely!",the girl cheered.

Rocks spires reached high into the sky around him, tall and broad.

They drew out from beside him like a cage, forming a towering, crooked wall around him.

The rocks had uprooted some trees, and broken through riverbeds, disrupting much of the earth in the forest area.

There were far more than he'd ever created before.

Eugene felt no need to celebrate, clutching chunks of earth as he trembled.

His breath hiked.

"Are you alright, your majesty?"

He didn't respond.

He couldn't bring himself too.

He clenched his teeth in an attempt to not shame himself.

Rapunzel...

He needed her more than ever.

He missed her more than ever.

He didn't want to believe what he'd just told himself about her leaving him behind.

But he needed to accept it.

He couldn't let his feelings chain him down, he had to protect her.

That meant never going back.

That meant never being with her again.

He glared weakly at the dirt to shut his eyes tight.

He wasn't going to shame himself.

He wasn't pathetic.

He had to be strong for her.

If he blinked enough, it wouldn't happen.

Nothing would come out.

Just hold it in.

He sniffled, glaring as harshly as he could manage at the grass beneath himself.

A silvery, blue hand gently held his cheek, tipping his chin up with the other hand to meet her gaze.

She sighed,"I know it's hard to face your destiny."

She lessened her grip to a fainter, gentler touch.

"But sometimes you deserve it."

His eyes were wide and wet with red.

A single tear slipped past his defenses, rolling gracefully down his cheek.

She shook her head, disappointed.

"No time to dwell on that. Take your things and leave."

He followed the order.


	8. Chapter 8

Rapunzel frowned, licking her finger and sticking it to the wind.

She smiled after the short tingle and looked back at the group.

"The wind is finally getting stronger."

Cass wiped sweat from her brow,"...So there's a clearing up ahead?"

It was hard enough to travel without a guide to help them, but with no compass or map, their party was forced to rely on whatever little tricks they could remember that Eugene or Adira taught them.

Lance pressed the dirt beneath them, sighing with relief.

"Phew! Wet ground means a wet river nearby! And here I thought we were gonna run out of water!"

Cass rolled her eyes, "Wet grass means dew, genius."

He pouted, "It's what's under the grass, Cassandra. You're not a roguish outdoorsman."

Rapunzel groaned before Cass could retort.

Somehow Cass and Lance got along worse than Eugene and her ever had.

It was nearly always a fight between the two of them.

It'd start as a navigational disagreement, but the subject would slowly work itself back to that night at the Dark Kingdom if it stewed long enough.

Lance wasn't over the whole...sword situation.

In all honesty, she wasn't either, but Cass seemed very shaken up over the whole thing, so she didn't want to press it.

It was clear that Cass felt awful for hurting Eugene, but she never said she regretted it.

Lance was still reeling from the whole encounter, and not knowing Cass well, had formed a strong opinion of her to cope.

Was needing to talk about it his way to cope?

Cass seemed to cope by urging them to press onward to make up for it.

Rapunzel herself had swept most of the incident completely under a mental rug, only for herself to bother with.

She didn't know how to handle some of the things she was feeling, but she definitely wasn't going to burden the others with it.

It wasn't her nature to share what was on her mind freely.

She got out her stress through journaling and painting.

Gothel never wanted to hear about her problems, and she was considered a nuisance for even speaking for too long about anything, so this shell had sort of hardened over time.

She'd started trying to unlearn it with Eugene, but she always needed a signal of safety before she felt comfortable enough to tell even him anything, and they'd been dating for two years now.

She was glad he knew her signals, he'd picked up quickly because he was smart like that.

Cupcakes were always a good 'let's talk about what's on your mind' gesture, and physical attention was always a firm rock to safety.

When he held her small hands in his own.

When she'd embrace his frame, taking in the olfactory security that came with burying her face in his chest or clothing.

She was touch starved so she couldn't help it.

Hugs and hand holding were something she never had growing up.

That reassurance of love, worth, and safety was something she craved.

It made a startlingly potent response within her whenever she felt a loving touch.

With Eugene being gone now, she felt stranded.

She didn't want to bother Cass with hugs or her inner terrors, and with Lance that seemed completely inappropriate

Pascal was very helpful and sweet, but it wasn't having the same effect on her.

Talking with Pascal was very different from talking with her boyfriend.

She'd fallen back into the habit of toying with her hair to calm her nerves, but that wasn't easy to do with it all in such an intricate braid rope.

Messing up her braid or taking it down would only inconvenience herself and the others around her, so gripping her dress was the best she could do.

The group entered a forest clearing, a river running clear in the stream ahead of them.

Rapunzel froze.

A cluster of black rocks had formed a dam in the water, many fish trapped in this small hole that served as a blockage for the rest of the river flow.

"..Eugene...",she covered her mouth with her hands.

Lance and Cassandra stared wide eyed at the scene before them.

Cass took out her spare blade, but Lance pushed her behind him moving to look at the dam for himself.

"Definitely him. There's black rocks around here, but this has Eugene written all over it.", he squatted beside the fish trap, poking at the wall itself.

"If he's learning his powers, how are we supposed to find him? There were already black rocks everywhere around here. We can't tell if they're fresh or not, and we won't always be this lucky.", Cass studied the boot-scuffed bark of a nearby tree, "He'll get better about covering his tracks."

Lance took out a leather bag, piling the trapped fish into it.

"..Well, at least he left some lunch for us to think about it."

Cass gripped her blade tighter.

"Well it's his powers that concern me."

Rapunzel frowned, chewing her lip softly.

She needed to reach Eugene.

She needed to find her destiny, with him at her side.

She held out a hand to the rocks.

Her hair glowed a brilliant blonde, staining the earth gold around her.

The rocks responded to her, shimmering a bright blue as they morphed to point in a clear direction.

She smiled, a bit in awe of herself.

"..It..still works..!", she grinned back to Cass and Lance.

They had been doing this her entire journey to the Dark Kingdom, so it was good to know that the rocks were still pointing her to the Moonstone.

It filled her with a great sense of relief knowing that she had a map to find him.

"So...your destiny is...still with the Moonstone?", Cass gawked at the large pathway the spires had formed before them.

Rapunzel nodded, her shoulders easing up.

She and Cass had worried that Eugene's disruption might have sent them off course, but it seemed to have righted itself just fine.

"They'll lead us straight to him.", her knight smiled, sheathing her blade.

The rocks would make a good trail to follow.

The group stopped for lunch, resting and preparing some fish for later down the line.

Lance had asked about Adira joining them, but that had turned into a Cass argument when the two began bickering.

Rapunzel sighed, rubbing her temple.

Pascal was luckily a great companion to play with for stress relief.

She brightened up with an idea around the later part of the afternoon.

Rapunzel moved up to Cassandra, pointing for her to scout ahead.

Cass, of course, gladly accepted, brandishing her blade and moving forward.

"...So...",Rapunzel hung back a bit beside Lance,"...about Eugene..."

Lance glanced at her slightly, a bit of a gloomy haze over him as he answered.

"Mm-hm."

Rapunzel slicked her hair back, still firm in its braid.

How to phrase it...

"What did you two normally talk about? It's okay, you can tell me.", she smiled, offering a cheery air to the current atmosphere.

He frowned, sighing.

"....What specifically?"

Her smile dropped a bit as she toyed with her dress, "..Um. Better question. What was he like as a kid? Did you two go on any crazy adventures together, or was that only when you got older?"

Lance didn't look at her much, which made her anxious.

He did seem like he was deep in thought, in his defense.

He shook his head," The original Flynn Rider? Ohhh man~..."

Lance chuckled, finally looking over.

His eyes felt more walled off than Eugene's or Cass's, which felt a bit stifling.

However, he was amiable enough for that shield to not be too uncomfortable.

"He..uh...well, he was a really bad kid.", he laughed.

Rapunzel nodded, confused by how amused Lance was about it.

"He started out fine, he just got...bad. He was like a big brother for everyone in the orphanage. He was the tallest, he could read the best..we always gave him a lot of attention."

Lance smiled, "We only had a few books to read there, but he'd read the stories over and over again for all of us. Blooming thespian. I was his partner in crime. I did some of the voices. It was great, well, it was great for what it was."

Rapunzel listened intently, Pascal climbing up onto her head.

"He uh...well, we really, but you're asking about him...Eugene wasn't happy much. He started turning real sour as time went on. I mean, we all did. That was how things went at the orphanage. It started out all nice and promising, but the older you got, the more you understood the real picture. No food really, no warm clothes, no room, barely anything to read or do or...anything really. Our keeper woman, that old crow, none of us really liked her, and she wasn't a peach either. So when nothing came, and we'd need things...it wasn't pretty. Eugene wanted to be a hero.", he crossed his arms.

"He wanted to help like Flynn Rider would, so he'd ask over and over again to get things for him and other kids. The crow wouldn't let us leave so he learned to break out. He didn't have any money or anything to sell so he just..stole it. He stole a few things at first, mostly for himself. A comb, apples, money...he was at this for years. He kept promising things to the others and eventually portions of what he had taken safely would go around. I was his sole confidant."

Lance clasped his hands together in a sort of mocking, dramatic tone as his voice shifted pitch.

"'Oh, Lance!', he'd cry, 'I hate living here! It's so cold and we're always starving! I wanna explore, out there! In the real world!' And I'd say, 'Eugene, my man. You're the one eating all the dang food, but hey, I'm not here to judge-Okay, don't look at me like that, I was thinking of the wrong conversation. Anyways, where was I? Yeah, yeah-So Eugene told me one day that he was gonna’ up and leave the orphanage by himself in the night. He'd just had this huge fight with the crow, and he was never gonna get adopted, so he said it was his last chance to start living. I asked him to wait for me and he said, 'Okay then.' And he did. We split up and met up again maybe three years after that. Sometimes I was with him, sometimes I wasn't. He spent a long, long time all alone. I get it though, being a skilled artist leads you down certain paths and makes you act a certain way. I know I did."

Lance frowned, scratching his chin.

"He had a lot of flings and run ins, he made himself an total icon on  
the map for the criminal underworld. I taught him how to be a ladies man of course-"

Rapunzel's angry pout was enough for him to stop the story there.

He coughed a bit awkwardly to clear the air.

"...So if you're asking, would he betray you to take the stone for himself? Yeah, Flynn would totally do that."

Rapunzel gripped the lavender fabric of her skirt.

"Not Eugene though. Right?"

Her eyes were wide and vulnerable.

Lance sighed,"...No. Eugene wouldn't do that. He's not Flynn Rider."

Rapunzel nodded, her tongue at her teeth, "..Right."

His shoulders slacked a bit as he looked away from her again before tensing up.

Rapunzel stepped closer and leaned in to encourage him to speak up.

He frowned,"...I have no idea what you did to him. I love Adira, but I wouldn't say I hated everything I am without her. Sure, she's a goddess of a woman, but if I were with her I wouldn't-"

He clicked his tongue.

"He doesn't loosen up enough, he always goes on and on about how much he hates his old life and how he isn't Flynn anymore, like he's shunning away a completely different person from him-"Lance narrowed his eyes,"-Like everything we did together is something he's ashamed of?? That-"

He stopped himself.

Lance sighed, wiping his forehead,"...That stings, Princess. It really stings."

Her hands felt heavy against her legs, keeping a sturdy frame as she moved.

Uttering some sort of response felt a bit dangerous to do now.

It had never occurred to her that Eugene was pushing anything away from himself besides a title and a bad attitude.

Flynn Rider and Eugene hadn't seemed so different before.

Lance had seen them differently.

Was she really that blind?

The worry crept into her mind before she pushed it away.

Lance had a tendency to exaggerate, and he wasn't good at gauging others.

Was that really enough to write him off as unreliable?

Was she being condescending?

It was clear to her that there was a deep friendship he felt was strained from Eugene's change in character.

Eugene wasn't present to defend himself either.

She looked up at him sympathetically.

She wanted to know more, but she knew Lance wouldn't tell her.

Asking Eugene was the only other option, but for now she'd serve as his mouthpiece.

"...I know, I'm not Eugene..but he did tell me that being Flynn was a really hard time for him. He told me he was..chasing a daydream. He wasn't being true to himself. So...being Eugene feels better to him now."

Her eyes were soft like green grass.

"He-"

Cass's voice stopped them.

They halted at her command, gazing out at the split in the earth before them.

Max and Fidella patiently waited by her side.

"Something way up the peninsula must have caused this rift. It's getting dark so we might as well save our energy for the night before heading onward. I'm taking first watch."

Rapunzel nodded, offering a quick pat on the shoulder to Lance before moving up to Cass's side again.

Hopefully they'd continue the conversation later.

Setting up camp was the most important focus at the moment, even if she was itching to know more.

She'd never stopped to really think about how Lance felt about Eugene's betrayal, or Cass for that reason.

Cassandra had certainly talked to her about it, but assessing the situation was something she couldn't even bring herself to do much of.

It hurt too badly.

It frightened her.

She pawed at the pages of her journal, longing for the moment she'd reunite with him like in her pictures.

It'd be just like that if she could help it.

She only hoped it would be that soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Eugene took another deep breath, trying to steady his core.

"You're growing stronger everyday. I'm proud of you, your majesty."

Sweat dripped down his face, trickling off his exposed skin like rain droplets.

The droplets shivered with his shaky breaths.

He'd been making his way to Stalyan's rendezvous point, but dread still hung over him the entire way.

What was going on with Rapunzel?

Cassandra?

Lance?

Adira?

He drank from his water skin, sighing.

Life on the road alone again was...lonely to say the least.

He'd been with company for so long now that he'd be cushioned from the lonely feeling he was used to.

Before he met Rapunzel of course.

The water skin sat light in his grip, making him frown and shake at it.

Damn, no water.

He bent down by a split stream to fill up his skin again.

The water was cool, a soothing liquor to his aching bones and stressed mind.

Attempting to master the Moonstone for days on end as he traveled made him fatigued and anxious, considering the vault of power required him to constantly be under a state of duress.

Intense emotions were taxing, he was realizing that more than ever lately.

Focusing on his depression over Rapunzel kept her painfully fresh in his view, etching a scar into his brain.

She came up in nearly every thought.

Missing her made him feel like he'd go crazy with no one to share his feelings with.

_Her smile..._

_Her touch..._

The urge to run back to her was strong within him, a temptation he actively fought nearly ever hour of the day.

The Moonstone had encouraged him to take time dwelling on his past with her, hoping to fuel his fire for power it seemed.

The cost of his greater rock formations came from his taxing mental state.

He wasn't a total downer as a person, so forcing himself to stay in this funk was driving him mad.

He felt sluggish and pathetic.

His dreams were filled with Rapunzel, and of the horrible things that he feared most for her.

Reuniting always resulted in her death, a vague warning from his inner conscience.

Perhaps being sad and sluggish was better than being angry and exhausted like the stone had originally wanted.

His eyes flickered upwards to the movement in front of him.

A doe bent down to drink from further down the stream, resting on the other side facing him.

She stared at him before freezing up.

The doe crept backwards before darting into the lush green around her.

He frowned.

His ears perked up at an odd tickle on the nape of his neck.

The Moonstone, despite feeding on his moping, still offered him a hyper-alert state of being.

He whipped around to see what was behind him.

Adira kicked him hard across the face, snapping his nose the instant her boot made an impact.

His head jerked painfully as he slammed into a tree across the river.

Blood quickly met his lips in a gross froth of mucus and iron.

He panted, his heart racing.

How did she find him??

Why was she here??

Was Rapunzel nearby?

He staggered to stand, his right hand reaching behind him to yank the great-sword free from its sheath.

Adira sighed.

"You don't know how to use that thing. I pity you."

He sniffled, glaring at her.

"...Where's Rapunzel?!", he spat blood.

The woman shook her head and began circling him.

He gripped the handle of the weapon with both hands, attempting to keep moving with Adira despite needing to ground himself with the blade.

"You don't look so good, Fishskin. You really should return the Moonstone to the princess.", Adira advised with a soft voice.

He grimaced.

"..So she's not with you then.", Eugene glanced over her form cautiously, "I'm still not answering to you, Adira."

She narrowed her eyes tenderly,"Fishskin, please. Stop playing this game with yourself and return the Moonstone to its rightful place. My king is coming for you. He'll likely trap you in the kingdom dungeons if he finds you. He might kill you."

Eugene scoffed.

"I'd like to see him try! You saw what happened to Cass!"

Adira started to inch closer, her feet lightly planted on the ground, ready to strike.

"Your armor cannot save you. If I took your weapon and I were him, I would slaughter you surely. I'd cut you down where you stand."

Eugene gripped the blade tighter to fight the subtle shake of his hold.

"That man is your father. You know that."

She locked eyes with him.

"Perhaps he would show mercy."

He grit his teeth in a fierce snarl.

"That man is _not_ my father! You can't expect me to treat him like one! Am I supposed to feel sad for going against him?! He wasn't there for me! He's a complete stranger!", he barked.

The two grew closer in their circling of the other, like sharks approaching prey.

Adira shrugged a bit, seeming as aloof as usual.

"Yet, you believe that stranger who died at the castle was your mother? Enough to fear for the princess?"

Her words cut like glass.

That smug, knowing tone was so quiet and gentle, yet it stabbed like a thousand knives in his side.

He held the sword steady.

Sweat dripped from his brow.

"...I..."

Something odd was gripping his throat.

Making himself wallow in his sadness for the past few days pushed his anger aside momentarily, forcing this dumbstruck, childlike anguish to take its place.

The same way he'd felt back at the castle.

Hearing that his mother...

He grimaced, "Fine! You can't deny that he's my father either, I just don't think of him like that! I know what a dad is supposed to be and that's not what he is to me! I don't care about his excuses or the Moonstone, he should have sent someone with me! To take care of me! But I took care of myself! And you know what? I turned out pretty good without a father!"

His glare deepened.

"I can't believe you even think I should love him! Why would I let a complete stranger drag me back to some castle somewhere?? He wants me to stay there for the rest of my life with him! That's psychotic!"

Adira circled behind him, but he quickly ducked out of the way, the two resuming their standoff.

"Yet, you are trapping yourself away from the princess anyways.", she frowned.

"Oh shut up! You know exactly what I'm doing! It's not like that at all!", he snapped,"Gah! I hate how much you act like you know better! Nobody likes a know-it-all, Adira, tone down the condescension!"

When they had met in the Forest of No Return, she'd spoken the same way.

It drove him nuts.

The only difference there was that he'd been a bit stubborn then, which wasn't at all like now.

He'd needed the help there, now he didn't need her at all.

He didn't hate Adira by any means, but having her try to talk down to him was earning his ire.

"Fishskin, I know you have a very large heart. You have a deep and vast love for your friends and the princess.", her brow curled, "But I cannot trust you to destroy the rocks. I believe only the Sundrop can do that. If you are seeking a martyr, there is no need to look further than Rapunzel herself."

His eyes widened.

The electric blue of his repulsion was startlingly bold to see.

"You want Rapunzel to die?!!"

She was quiet for a moment.

The deep black of her eyes was unsettlingly distant.

Unreadable.

"...It's only a possibility.", she finally let the words off her lips,"...But it's a risk I'm willing to take."

His eyes pierced her through.

With a sweep across the dirt, he shouted, bringing the sword down as hard as he could handle.

It slammed into the ground as she dove aside it, stamping on the blade.

Her knee busted his nose again, another gurgling crack and a downpour of iron.

He grimaced, trying to yank the sword free to knock her foot off balance.

She clutched his hair in her hands, gripping his bangs like a handle to slam her knee into him once more.

Adira yanked upward, using the opportunity to butt in his stomach.

He gasped a harsh intake of air, dribbling with his own blood.

_Fuck._

He'd never fought her before in his life.

He had no idea what she fought like.

Especially without her weapon.

Red splotches starred his vision as he tried to stop the throbbing pain in his head.

He didn't want to kill Adira, just to scare her off a bit.

But at this rate, he was unlikely to do that anyways.

He grabbed around her waist, forcing her on top of him.

His sword was free, but he was prone, pinned beneath her.

She quickly grabbed his neck, crushing it with one hand.

"Give up, Fishskin. I know all your tricks. You cannot beat me."

His teeth snapped together in a fierce lock.

He didn't want to show any weakness.

"You wouldn't...kill..me...", he taunted.

She gripped tighter, making him squeak.

"All I need is for you to fall unconscious. That's easier than killing you."

Her eyes remained unreadable and startlingly calm, despite the slight strain in her voice.

Perfect.

His out.

He whimpered, panting hard.

Her grip didn't falter.

Eugene coughed and drooled against her, his eyes frightened.

Just as quickly as it had started moving in a panic, the rise of his chest slowed into a slower and slower rhythm.

His head slacked against her grip on his neck.

His frightened blue eyes became less focused and started to roll into their sockets.

Adira took a moment before releasing him, letting out a small sigh.

She took rope from her side and prepared it to tie his wrists together.

A cage of rocks tore up from the ground around him, throwing her off, another cluster pinning her body to a tree by the sleeve.

Adira growled, squirming to free herself.

Eugene let out a quiet, raspy chuckle, his throat aching.

"Gotcha...", he rasped.

Enjoying his little victory, Eugene sat up and rubbed his eyelids, massaging his throat muscles.

"Man, it's been too long since I've done that...I wasn't too obvious, was I..?"

He smirked, palms hard pressed to his eye sockets.

It hurt to roll them so much but it was an old trick.

'Flynn Rider Bullshit' was always good in a pinch.

His second option was the smolder, but Adira didn't seem like the type who'd fall for it.

He shakily got to his feet, dragging his soles over to the great-sword on the ground.

He pointed the blade at her.

"Last chance to leave me alone.", he smarted.

She kicked his forearm, forcing him to slice to the sword downward to compensate for off-balance weight.

It cleanly split the left side of the rocks.

With one hand free, Adira grabbed his wrist and freed her other arm.

He slammed his side into her to force her to let go.

The two locked in tumbling over each other again.

She squared his jaw.

He jabbed her ribs.

This cycle repeated itself until he was completely exhausted.

Adira seemed to be better at hiding her fatigue, if she even was tired.

He trembled, clutching the sword tightly.

"Give up....",she breathed.

The sun was beginning to set, cloaking them in darkness.

"...No. I'll never stop. I won't...",he panted,"..I won't let you kill her. She's the Sundrop, don't kill her!"

Adira stepped closer.

"Don't make me hurt you..", he grit his teeth, still clutching his blade.

His legs failed him as he dropped to his knees, using the sword to hold himself up.

_"I'll endure anything."_ , she spoke plainly.

His shoulders heaved as she staggered towards him.

_"..Wither and Decay..."_

He stopped himself as she got closer.

He still couldn't control that, so there was no need to risk her death.

Adira kicked his jaw, knocking him flat against the mud.

She held out a hand to help him to his feet.

He glared at it cautiously through squinted eyes.

Another kick to the jaw.

He spat, heaving.

Eugene clenched his fists, raising them up in a fast motion from the dirt.

A rock split the earth, followed by a great sea around himself.

Adira was thrown far back, closed off from his perimeter.

His body felt weaker than ever before.

"Fishskin, listen to me-!"

He cut her off, tearing the sword from the ground.

So many excuses from the people around him that got in his way.

The King's excuse for abandoning him as a child.

Here was Adira's plea now.

He wasn't playing into their hands.

He had a responsibility.

A destiny.

Sure it was forced upon him, but he had to take it.

It was the safest choice.

Adira was horrible, willing to sacrifice the woman he loved.

"No!", he shouted, "Why would I ever listen to you?! You want her to die! You don't care if you kill her!!"

Fatigue racked his body, but Adira seemed to show clear strain as well in her push against the rock formation.

"I'm taking care of it. The rocks and the princess.", he spoke through grit teeth.

The sword sheathed itself on his back as he gathered his camp supplies.

"Don't look for me again.", he growled.

Hopefully that would scare her off.

The night sky soaked him in inky blues and blacks.

He fought the tremble of his hands, the pain in his chest, and the ache in his gut.

Passing through a hillside, he slowly scaled the side of the cliff edge, resting in a nook near the lower half of it.

He shivered, clutching his shoulder.

His reflection solemnly greeted him from a small puddle within the outlet.

The moon hung intimidatingly overhead, cresting over the hillside.

Watching him.

He studied his reflection in solitude, reserved.

Copper stung his lips.

Fire burned his jaw and stomach.

His throat felt tight and bruised.

He needed to be better.

He needed to control the rocks better.

He needed to protect himself and everyone else from the Moonstone.

Even if he was unsuited for the job. 

Even if he wasn't angry enough, or wise enough.

Or lucky.

His fingers gingerly covered his twice broken nose in a protective shield.

He swallowed, closing his eyes.

_"Heal..what has been hurt.."_

The burning in his throat made him stagger, his voice coming out on wisps of air.

Still, he persisted.

_"..Change..the fates..design..."_

The chill of the air caught his breath.

_"..Save..what has been lost.._

_Bring back what once..was mine..._

_...what once...was..mine..."_

He slowly took his hand away from his face, wiping the blood from his nose with his thumb.

He stared at his reflection.

His eyes widened, a dumbstruck, tired expression on his face.

His nose was righted.

A smile curled up the lips of his open mouth.

After all these days, he'd done it.

He could heal.


	10. Chapter 10

_Rapunzel shot awake, finding herself in a dark space, lightly tinted by a pink hue._

_"Blondie.."_

_She looked around._

_"Eugene?",she called out, walking in a circle before seeing him back where she'd started._

_He smiled at her fondly._

_That familiar curl of his brow._

_The softness of his eyes._

_The fullness of his lips._

_She reached out to him, tears in her eyes._

_She'd been hurting._

_Hurting for days._

_"Ah. Not so fast, Rapunzel."_

_She froze at the unfamiliar voice._

_The ghostly shape of a small girl swept over her shoulder, moving to circle Eugene._

_His eyes stayed fixed on Rapunzel, as if he hadn't seen anything strange at all._

_"Rapunzel...I love you..", he smiled, his eyes half lidded and relaxed._

_The girl gagged._

_"Ugh. He's really hopeless, isn't he? Troublesome that your pet has fallen so deeply in love with you. He's mad with it.", she rolled her eyes, "Being willing to kill yourself for your beloved..it's pathetic really. Who could possibly be so misguided over it?"_

_Eugene swooped back a lock of dark hair, sighing._

_"...I miss you. I love you so much..", he softly mused._

_"What did you do to him?? Are these his thoughts? What is this?? A dream?", Rapunzel looked around, her shoulders hunched._

_The girl laughed, bending down and holding him by the jaw._

_This presence was...cold._

_Uninviting._

_The instant the girl had appeared, Rapunzel had frozen._

_Cass had been tempted by a blue ghost before._

_The stranger played with his cheeks, Eugene still lost in his own love-struck musings._

_"Don't touch him!!",Rapunzel snapped, raising her finger, "I know what you're up to! You won't tempt me!!"_

_Silvery, wispy fingers released her boyfriend's face, the vesper floating over to admire Rapunzel for a moment._

_"I see you're a clever girl. Much more clever than I'd believed before..so I suppose I'll grant you a warning, just to be fair."_

_She smiled devilishly at the princess._

_"You'll never get to the Moonstone, Rapunzel. Your darling little boy toy is keeping it away from you. And I'm keeping him far away as well."_

_Rapunzel gasped, "What are you doing to Eugene?! You made him go like this??"_

_The ghost darkly chuckled, circling back to Eugene._

_He still wore a pleasant frown on his face, biting his lip tenderly in thought._

_Possibly remorseful, but too handsome and delicate of an expression for that._

_He froze up as the girl gripped his neck, wincing and buckling down to his knees._

_"Eugene!!",she shouted, her blood cold._

_"Rapunzel..!", he heaved ragged breaths as the girl strangled his neck with small, dainty hands._

_The ghost threw him away, sending him completely slack in pain._

_His body trembled, making her stomach churn._

_"You can't possibly save him. Corona will fall and you'll never make it here.", blue lips curled into a wicked grin, "My master will succeed in their ambitions, and there's nothing the Sundrop could possibly do to stop us! You lose, Rapunzel!"_

_The princess stepped forward, glaring, but cautious._

_"You don't want me to get to Eugene, is that it?!"_

_The ghost laughed, "I'm warning you that you'll fail. You might as well head home and say goodbye to your beloved Corona. I doubt you'll ever find us. After all, if he doesn't find you, he'll keep doing my work for me, and keeping you both further and further apart from each other. Won't it be so sad when you fail that fool Demanitus, never reuniting the Sundrop and the Moonstone? I think it will be."_

_Rapunzel grimaced," You're from Zhan Tiri, aren't you? We've beaten you before. Eugene saved me when I was under one of that demon's spells. I'm doing the same for him! You won't stop me!"_

_Another ghoulish laugh filled the air._

_"What funny things you say! Rapunzel, you can't entertain the idea that you'll stop me. He'll never reunite with you as long as he's driven by love. Awwww, isn't that sickening?"_

_Rapunzel smirked, her smile halfway into a snarl._

_"Ha! You don't know who you're talking to! I'm gonna stop you and put an end to this journey by my hand, with my friends at my side! Our love is stronger than you could even imagine!"_

_The ghost narrowed her eyes, a bit intimidated it seemed._

_"No matter! I'll keep you apart for as long as I can manage! Goodbye, Rapunzel!"_

Rapunzel stirred awake from the loud clap in her dream, feeling sluggish despite just having what seemed like a nightmare.

Was that a vision?

Was that why she felt so awake?

She groaned before being struck in the face with a hard sheet of metal.

Frying pan.

So that's how that felt.

She gasped, her alertness spiking for a moment as she tried to stay conscious.

A warm towel soaked over her mouth, silencing her scream.

Her wrists had already been tied, likely in her sleep.

Her eyes flickered around the room for her party, green and frightened.

Cassandra and Lance were nowhere she could see.

A familiar voice snickered.

"Sorry to wake you, princess. Goodnight."

She glared weakly in shock at the figure above her.

"Varian..",she gagged against the cloth before slipping out of consciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

Cassandra groaned groggily, her eyes adjusted to the light of the sun above her.

Her head ached.

"...Raps...", she grimaced, memories of her watch last night coming back to haunt her.

A hazy vision swirled through her mind.

..Colors...

...textures...

...sounds...

A foreboding blur scarred her sight.

She'd inhaled something...something sickly sweet smelling.

Damn.

Some sort of sedative inhalant had knocked her out.

And the princess...

Cass panicked, her heart pounding in her chest.

Her eyes darted around herself.

No sign of the princess anywhere.

She grimaced, tugging at her restraints.

Some poor man's knot had tied her arms above her head against the tree bark.

It wasn't complicated in the slightest, but it was certainly working.

At least she could gather that whoever had tied this wasn't an outdoorsman.

...Or up to code with Coronan guard procedure.

Cass bit her lip, trying to force her boot from her heel.

She always carried a parrying dagger against her calf, and without her sword nearby that was her only chance.

A small cry left her throat from straining her right hand, the char forcing her to leave it be for a moment.

She attempted to clench her fist once more.

A fiery jolt soared up her arm to scold her.

She winced, her mind still racing.

Rapunzel was her destiny.

She had to protect her, she had to be her knight.

She'd kept her safe for months and finally she failed.

A horse whinny grabbed her attention.

"..Max..?",she slurred, still coming into herself for a bit.

He was far to the right of her, so much so that she had to strain her neck to see, pinned in an uncomfortable belly down position with ropes.

Fidella was asleep behind him, lying very still.

Maximus let out a wild snort, his hooves scraping the dirt below.

"Damn...",Cass groaned,"..They really hit us. Whoever they are."

Who would want to kidnap the princess and had the means to render them all unconscious?

Who would bother to tie up a horse?

Maximus was definitely recognizable as a kingdom guard horse, but normal guard horses were certainly not like Maximus.

Whoever did this knew him.

Whoever did this wasn't looking to kill expendables either.

Cass narrowed her brow, pondering their rogues gallery of fallen villains.

Everyone she could think of were rotting in the dungeons.

Fine then..

Who was most likely to break out?

Her mind racked with annoyance and guilt over what scheme might be hatching.

The Stabbingtons had broken out quite a few times now, but they had no motive to hurt Rapunzel.

If it was about a ransom or a trade for Eugene, then they were completely out of luck.

All their gold had gone to Stalyan during the whole Pincosta situation.

She still had no idea how Raps could go from wanting to claw her hair out with jealousy over this woman to being her friend in an afternoon, but then again, that was the magic of Rapunzel.

And regarding Eugene...

A pit refused to settle in her stomach.

She remembered her father had told her long ago that strength was about making hard choices.

A guard's duty was to do what was right no matter the consequences.

Oath-bound loyalty to a crown and kingdom demanded that sort of thinking.

She didn't regret throwing the sword.

She regretted not being strong enough to capitalize on it.

If her father were there, he'd have raced over and grabbed him while he was still reeling from the attack.

That's why the guards carried crossbows on patrol.

Caution, then shoot.

Safety was most important, as well as apprehending the target.

A bolt to the shoulder was customary and taught in the academy training.

The safety lock on the crossbow guaranteed that force being used was a last ditch effort, and it was entirely noble to do if fate tugged your hand.

Aim to apprehend and punish.

Not to kill.

Lance had no idea what he was talking about.

As if a two-bid hood knew anything about loyalty or noble efforts anyways.

Even Rapunzel had understood why she did what she did, and she'd cried her eyes out at the scene over it.

Lance...

Cass shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"..Lance?..Strongbow, are you...are you here?"

She growled, kicking up her leg to try to pry her boot off.

Damn.

Strapped too tightly.

Her prepared nature had cost her this time.

A loud yawn caught her attention.

She narrowed her eyes, her vision finally focused.

Lance was at the base of the tree across from her, seeming pretty pleased with whatever dream he'd been having.

Their eyes met as he sighed at her.

"I hope I'm still dreamin'..",he frowned.

"Sorry, but we're both awake. Make yourself useful and try to take my boot off. I have a knife in there to cut us free."

He chided her a bit, settling himself lower against the tree.

"Ya know, I used to think Eugene was kidding when he called you a Demon Lady, but you keep carrying all these knives on you-like, how many knives could a girl-"

Cass grit her teeth,"Zip it, slacker! We don't have much time! The princess could be miles away from here by now and we're still here, stuck to trees!"

He rolled his eyes, stretching enough to grip his shoes around her right boot.

After a bit of squabbling and tugging, the boot loosened enough to finally come off.

Cass smiled with relief before Lance grabbed the knife for himself.

"What the hell are you doing? Give me my knife!",she scolded.

Lance chuckled,"-And how were you planning on taking it off your leg? Your teeth?"

Cass flared her nostrils, accepting his point, even if she didn't want to.

It didn't matter who had the knife, as long as they got out.

Lance was surprisingly swift with the dagger, able to easily pass it between his feet and his fingertips.

Fast hands were important if you were a lowlife, she reasoned.

Lance finally walked over to her, snapping her bonds and keeping the knife from her.

She grumbled and held out her hand for it.

He smiled,"..Maybe it's better if you have one less knife on you. Hm, Ice Queen?"

She grimaced.

That shit eating grin was somehow worse than Eugene.

Lance had a special way of getting under her skin, it was like talking to fifty Eugenes.

He had such a smug air about him, despite walking ass backwards into anything that came to him.

He had no stakes in their journey, and knew barely enough about anything.

He was Eugene without anything valuable to his presence around her.

It boggled her mind how Rapunzel could even stand him, but then again, liars and thieves were her typical company.

Especially loud, obnoxious, smug bastards.

Lance took in her grated expression, amusedly twirling her knife in his hands.

"I see _someone_ doesn't like a hand-me-down nickname.",he handed off the knife like he'd owned it,"..Maybe think about that a little bit."

She scoffed, sheathing the small blade after freeing the horses.

This was gonna take a while.

But finding Rapunzel was her top priority.

Even if it meant she'd be dealing with an idiot.


	12. Chapter 12

Rapunzel grimaced, feeling something drip from her scalp.

Her eyes groggily opened, a pain at the center of her forehead. 

Frying pan.

She cringed a bit, thinking back to Eugene.

She'd swung this at him as hard as she could about four times and counting.

It was surprising that he could just joke about it, this stung.

Then again, she'd never been hit in the face before with any blunt instrument.

Maybe there were worse.

Her wrists were snug with rope bindings, as well as her ankles.

"So she wakes.."

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes at the voice to her right.

Varian.

"I thought you were in jail.", she glared.

The room was mostly empty, save for a few tables.

The walls were littered with papers and red string, maps and planning strung all around her.

The Flynn Rider poster still hung above it all, seeming pretty out of place with the rest of this mess.

She recognized herself in many of the sketches coating the cell wall.

Varian chuckled in a voice a bit too deep to be natural, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh, ho, ho...you would think that, _princess_.",he smirked,"But you've been gone for quite some time. Wouldn't you say?"

She fought back a worrisome thought before pressing on.

"Only a year.",her green eyes studied him carefully.

Varian slapped his cheek, laughing.

"Only a year, she says!",he chuckled,"Do you know how long a year is, _princess?_ "

Rapunzel bit her lip.

"What's your game, Varian? I deserve to know what you did to my kingdom."

He paused for a moment, surprised.

A sly grin curled up his cheeks.

"What I did? No, no, no, Rapunzel. The only thing I did was wait for my moment. I'm opportunistic, if you will."

He paced the small floor of the room, waving his finger around.

"The perfect moment when I could make history!"

Rapunzel tried to look around for some sort of exit, but she wanted him to keep going, so most of her attention focused on his eyes and hand movements.

"Ya' see, your campaign was going on a bit too long for the king's tastes. You know what life was like before you returned to Corona? The crazy crime rate? The executions? Yeah, your father was starting to crack again. Doesn't it feel nice that your father loves you so much?",he rolled his eyes,"Bah. Anyways, your dad was getting so antsy that he sent out a key player to meet you all out here. The Captain."

Rapunzel's eyes widened.

"...The Captain?..When did he get sent out??"

Had they missed him before?

Did her father still not trust her?

Then again, even her boyfriend didn't trust her...

Varian scratched his chin,"...Maybe a few months ago. The point is, without the Captain, your guard troop _blows._ Those suckers couldn't even anticipate the prison break I pulled. Pure genius, let me tell you that."

Rapunzel gawked for a moment.

Her face settled into a growl.

Varian seemed to relish in her expression.

"Anyways, thank my friends cyclobenzaprine and carisoprodol for making you and your friends fall asleep. Ahh...alchemy. Is there anything more scientifically sound and effective? Yeah, I think not. Pssh."

He brushed off his shoulder, bending down to get a better look at her face.

Varian was completely shrouded in a puffed up cloak and bandana that made him look bigger, fit with large burgundy gloves and thick triple-strapped boots.

The weirdest part of the look was the poorly scribbled on soul patch that he had seemed to have done in pencil.

Her eyes darted back to the Flynn Rider poster.

Huh.

She doubted Eugene would find it flattering, but some part of it was a little cute.

Mostly depressing.

Varian may have assaulted her family and friends, and now her with a frying pan, but he was still a child.

The fact that he still admired Eugene gave her a bit of hope for him, but it was looking more like he appreciated the Flynn Rider aesthetic over actually pursuing Eugene as a person.

Not that he would be very happy with Eugene now anyways.

As if on cue, Varian brought up the touchy subject.

"I see that _Flynn Rider_ finally had the sense to leave you behind!",he smirked,"He's smart, I mean..who would ever trust you?"

The jab sunk deeper than he'd intended, based on his surprised reaction to her glassy stare, wide..green..melancholic.

"...He...he isn't dead, is he?",Varian swallowed for a moment.

Rapunzel shook her head, swallowing.

"...No."

He sighed in relief, too jittery for the intimidation he was going for.

"...Then..what happened?",his overbite stuck at his lower lip.

Rapunzel frowned, unable to look at him for a moment.

An idea sparked in her mind.

She sighed,"I'll tell you if you let me go."

He scoffed, kicking dust in her face as he stormed across the room.

Well, it was worth a shot.

"At least tell me what you're doing with me here.",her brow crinkled.

Varian bolted a sheet of metal in front of her, with a small hole as an opening.

He undid her braid, slipping every inch of her hair through it.

Eventually she was face to face with the sheet, worried for her hair on the other side.

"I'm trying something new. You told me you'd save my father, didn't you?"

She cringed.

"Well, your folks didn't really do that much for him. Nothing at all really. So I'm back to square one again. This time I'm not giving up."

She grit her teeth,"Varian, my hair won't-"

He cut her off,"Yeah, I'm not stupid. I'm doing a few experiments on it first. It reacts to damage, so hopefully if I let the drill go long enough with a few substances, it'll break the amber."

He chuckled,"..Or at least you should hope it will."

Her blood ran cold at the squeak of pain on the other side.

"Don't you dare hurt him!!", she snapped, trying to look through the slit at her chameleon.

Varian cleared his throat again, forcing that deeper, older tone from before.

"Oh I won't princess~.", he threatened,"Unless you start trying to pull something. I need some leverage. Maybe make you feel the pain that _I_ suffered. You know..when no one had _my_ back."

She grit her teeth.

That drill had yanked so harshly at her scalp before...she couldn't imagine what would happen if he refused to let it stop.

She didn't have time for this either, she needed to find Eugene.

Whatever force was working for Zhan Tiri had awful plans for him, and she needed to keep him safe.

Being apart from him risked the world ending.

The drill engine whirred lightly to start up.

Something sparked in her mind again.

"Varian, wait!! I know how to help you!", she blurted.

The engine shut off in an instant, the sheet tearing away from her face.

Varian was wide eyed with relief and anticipation.

Seeing his expression only made her hurt deeper inside.

What he'd done was unforgivable, but...

He was just a kid.

A scared, helpless kid, who was desperate and angry.

Sure he terrified her, but part of her felt heavy looking upon him.

She hadn't been a good friend.

She could've prevented this if she were more honest with him.

That was probably why Eugene had left anyways.

He probably thought she wouldn't understand.

Her self loathing stung at her a bit longer before she caught herself in it.

No, no.

She was justified.

She was a good person.

She just needed to show Varian that, and maybe he'd help her find Eugene.

At the very least he could turn around to being a sweeter person.

She needed someone who could read the Demanitus scroll after all, and she'd also be gaining another friend.

Rapunzel took a deep breath.

"I...um. It's gonna hurt if I do it. And...I can't exactly stop. You're gonna have to snap me out of it. Like...hit me in the face.", she awkwardly trudged over the words," But don't touch me or you'll burn yourself. The pan would..probably be good. Are you ready?"

He frowned, but nodded as he stepped over and poured the Amber elixir onto a corner of the wall.

He trusted her, so that was a start.

She silently begged her hair to work.

_"Wither..and Decay..._

_...end this destiny..._

_..break these earthly chains..._

_..and set the spirit free..."_

Her black tresses pooled against the ground, flowing like an inky lake.

_"The spirit...free..."_

The darkness set in.

She couldn't see anything.

Her world was cloaked in darkness, devoid of any light.

All she knew was that she was scared.

Scared that this would fail.

Scared that she couldn't save Pascal.

Scared that she couldn't find Cass.

Scared that she wouldn't reach Eugene.

She needed to stop whatever Zhan Tiri was planning.

She needed to grab her destiny.

No hesitations.

She felt herself wane a bit from the power of the spell.

It's hold lessened on her again.

Finally she was forced out of it, her head slamming back into the bars behind her as she yelped.

A fiery pain burst at the center of her face, like a sensory explosion all at once.

She reeled from it, her nostrils filled with a copper smelling thick rope, leaking out drip by drip.

The partially dried stain of a previous rope hung lightly on her lips, her head now pounding.

She groaned, her fingers reaching up to hold her face.

A slight horror took her as she felt her nose's shape.

Her small, button nose was bent.

Shrimpy arms embraced tightly, muttering shock and apologies over and over again.

The frying pan clattered to the floor, it's handle askew.

Her vision cleared, focusing on Varian.

He whined, horrified in his own right.

He looked like a child again, like when they'd first met.

He looked...remorseful.

Worried even.

"I-I-I'm so sorry!!", he stuttered, panicking," The.. The-the spell worked it just...you wouldn't...you didn't stop and I tried...and...you wouldn't..."

He sniffled.

"You started bleeding and the blood and uh...", he trembled against her,"You would wake up, I...I just thought if I hit you hard enough you'd...you'd wake up! So I kept trying and..."

He pushed off of her, burying his face in his gloves.

"I'm so useless!! I can't do anything right!!",he shouted,"Nobody listens to me and they have every right to hate me for what I did!..The good guy is supposed to win.. And save the day..and have friends..and I can't even do that right! Everyone thinks I'm a monster and they're right! I didn't want to make you bleed...! I didn't want you to...."

He hiccuped, cutting himself off.

Rapunzel softened her gaze.

"..I..I didn't want to make you bleed. I promise."

He stilled at the hand on his shoulder.

Rapunzel smiled at him weakly.

"I believe you, Varian. You never wanted it to come to this."

He wiped his face with his gloves, still clearly ashamed of himself, but not willing to let her hold him.

The desire to change seemed like it was there, he was only afraid of the consequences.

Pascal scurried across the floor and onto her shoulder, worriedly squeaking about her injury.

Rapunzel dabbed her nose with her forearm, reaching out to Varian again.

She hugged him in a short embrace.

Second chances were her thing after all.

"It's okay. I know you're scared, but I can help you. It worked, right?",her heart softened as he started to cheer up,"...But I can't go back to Corona right now. Not yet."

Varian shrunk a bit from her touch, that fear back in his eyes.

A possible betrayal on her lips.

She reassured him with a soft tone,"...I need to find Eugene..or..Flynn Rider. He's in big trouble right now and I need to help. Reuniting with him could mean the fate of the entire world."

Varian hissed slightly, shrinking further from her while gripping his arm.

"Rapunzel, I'd love to help but..there's no way your dad is gonna let me anywhere near you once the Captain finds me. I've done too much to hurt him. To hurt Corona...and you.",his teeth chewed his bottom lip,"I'm going back to the dungeon when they find me."

She shook her head, scooting closer.

A tender smile sat on her cheeks.

"I promise nothing will happen. I'm pretty good at pardoning criminals."

He awkwardly stirred as she pet him, but the sincerity in their agreement was clearly there, even if it was a silent one.

Varian's smile dropped nearly as soon as it appeared.

His blue eyes were small and worried as he looked at her.

She scrunched her nose a bit, wincing.

"..Oh gosh...your nose...I...um.", he tried to reach for her face,"...I uh..in prison the guys showed me...how to...fix..this...sorry."

She nodded excitedly, leaning forward.

Varian sheepishly chuckled before handing her one of his leather gloves.

"...You're...gonna wanna bite down on this. It hurts. A lot."

She sweat a bit at the statement, still trying to stay positive.

"Well...I'm a tough cookie. I'm sure this'll be great!"

She took the leather into her mouth and braced herself.

Pascal covered his eyes, burying himself in her golden hair.

It was not great.


	13. Chapter 13

Cassandra stilled, throwing an arm out to stop Lance from moving behind her.

Their hunt for Rapunzel had been mostly uneventful up until this point.

Maximus was leading the charge, following her scent off the ground like a bloodhound.

He popped out of the shrubs up ahead, pointing with a hoof for them to change direction.

Cass frowned, straightening her back again.

...He was certainly a unique horse.

They'd had a few false alarms along the way, and bitter conversation, but the journey wasn't as bad as it could possibly be.

The two had found that some sort of corrosive acid had been poured over all their weapons, arranged in what was essentially a funeral pyre.

They would certainly be missed.

Luckily for herself, Cass still carried her parrying dagger with her.

Along the path she'd found the body of a fallen person in the bushes.

After a brief moment of panic, they deemed that the guy was not sleeping, but dead.

Cassandra took his sword and sheathed it at her back.

Lance had glared at her, cringing oddly.

"..What? He's not gonna use it.", she'd frowned.

Since then he'd kept staring at the damn thing, glancing over himself and rubbing his arms.

Maximus led them forward as she turned around, unable to take it anymore.

"Okay, what's the deal with my sword? You're annoying me."

He swallowed a bit, still staring at it over her shoulder.

"...You took it off a dead guy.", he worriedly spoke, still wary.

She rolled her eyes,"...Don't tell me you think his ghost is coming to get me. You're the last person I'd expect to be against looting something."

Lance frowned at her.

"Cass, that was a _dead man_. A _recently dead man_.", he grimaced, "I'm superstitious and all, but that kind of thing is a _baaaad_ sign. He was still _fresh!_ "

She tensed a bit in her walk, a bit more fearful for Rapunzel.

"...So...what do you think that means for Raps?", vocalizing her fear came a bit more naturally than she'd hoped it would.

He took in a long breath.

"Personally? I think she's done for. You're cursed and she's dead. That sword is one hundred percent cursed with some sort of creepy crawly voodoo magic and that dead man is gonna haunt us with a bad omen."

She groaned.

Of course he'd say something like that.

It was strange, Eugene had a girlfriend with magical hair, yet he was the most skeptical person she'd ever known, yet Lance was waist deep in about a million superstitions of his own devices.

Sure, Rapunzel's _'curse'_ had seemed real to her at the time, and she generally got behind a few terrors, but being overly superstitious wasn't really her thing.

A bad omen she could believe in, but not here.

Not today.

"I doubt that.", she narrowed her eyes,"...We shouldn't even be thinking of bad omens right now. The princess is in danger."

He shook his head, crossing his arms.

"When you've been a thief long enough, you know when to trust a bad feeling. Trade secret."

She scoffed, pushing through a group of tree branches.

Maybe he was just worried cause he didn't have a weapon on hand.

Though...it was concerning that there was just a dead body nearby.

Apparently fresh.

Maximus snorted, crouching low but still angry.

She stopped, gripping her sword handle as she peered out from the trees.

A small, run down shack sat in decay among the green grass and flowers.

It looked like it used to be a holding pen.

Her eyes widened at the familiar face in the group of unsavory characters hanging around the outside of it.

Andrew.

These people must be...

"..Saporians..",she muttered softly, worry on her lips.

_Rapunzel..._

She turned back to Lance, her brow creasing.

"...I think your bad omen was right.", she grit her teeth.

They crouched beside Max in the shrubs, his breathing having become awfully silent for a horse.

At least he could be inconspicuous.

A shrill scream rang out from inside the holding pen.

Their party tensed with recognition.

"Rapunzel's in there, what's our plan?!",Cass demanded in a hushed voice.

Lance smirked a bit, folding his hands like a swan for a moment.

His eyes caught hers expectantly.

Cass groaned, hissing back, "Do we have a plan or not? I don't speak idiot."

Lance gawked at her.

"You spent all that time with him and the guy never bothered to say _anything_ about our gigs back in the day?? Ouch. That's hurtful."

He squinted at the group again,"...Then again, I'm pretty sure I'd need Eugene for it. These guys know you, right?"

She nodded, fingers digging in the dirt.

_What had made Raps scream like that?_

"...We can't afford to waste time, I can do whatever Fitzherbert's part was. Just let me in on the plan.", she looked to him more desperately.

Lance scratched his chin a bit.

"That could work, you are an agile little thing. Hmm...but we need a contingency...",he surveyed the tree-line.

"If there's any bullshitting involved, I'm not good with that.", she waved a finger, stroking an ornery Max with the other hand, "So out with it or we go with my plan."

Lance chuckled.

"This is a _Strongbow-Rider_ plan, but it'll be easy for a bad liar like you. All you need to do is b-line through the tree tops and jump down behind them. I'm doing the heavy lifting."

She scrunched her nose a bit.

Lance wasn't really trustworthy, even if he was all she had with her.

Eugene wasn't even here to keep him in check.

She peered over the bushes.

Six men, all carrying blades.

Longswords by the looks of it.

And their leader was someone she'd had a great struggle with in one on one combat alone.

What did that mean for the rest of them?

"...They're surveying the pen and I'm in armor. They'd spot or hear me the moment I started to cross."

Lance chided her, clicking his tongue.

"Not if _you're_ not the priority."

Maximus snorted, tilting his head in confusion.

Lance slapped the steed on the side,"-And I need _you_ if this is ever gonna work."

The horse flapped his lips, as much of a groan as he could manage.

Lance pulled them both close, drawing in the dirt and moving his fingers around in gestures.

"Okay, so we called this one _'Ring-around-the Rosie'-_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the random author's note here but I would like to thank all the people that have taken time to read my fic so far! This is my first time posting something I've written online so I really appreciate all the hits, kudos, bookmarks, and comments!


	14. Chapter 14

Eugene groaned, forcing himself to life like a reanimated corpse.

Caves were another thing his back had to get used to again.

He'd been trekking through the mountains to avoid the caravan, assuming Rapunzel had ever gone back and bothered to grab it.

The rocky mountains weren't exactly great for easy water sources, but his skin had been lasting him well so far.

Adira hadn't appeared again, so that was a plus.

He'd mastered the healing incantation too, at least for now.

Maybe if his hair got chopped off it'd stop working.

Hopefully that never happened, his hair was already hurt enough as it is.

_Blue..._

_Ugh._

He rustled through his satchel for the hand mirror Stalyan had paid for.

He had to plunge his arm deep into the bag to even find it.

Small and cheap as ever.

He took a deep breath.

His armor kept him from feeling the texture of his face, but it had been almost two weeks out on the road for him and he hadn't shaven.

He hadn't had the time or effort to check his reflection recently either, that being due to rock training or getting attacked.

He cringed a bit.

His poor eyebrows were probably a mess too.

And his hair...

_Blegh._

The dark prince slowly fixed the mirror to face his chin.

His eyes widened.

He looked...exactly the same.

It was as if he'd just grabbed the Moonstone a minute ago.

Why hadn't his hair grown in?

He normally got a little fuzzy by this point.

Sure he appreciated the lack of mess but this wasn't normal.

First he couldn't touch anything and now he couldn't grow any more facial hair?

His goatee was still as horribly blue as he remembered it, but that blue was certainly well groomed and even for being without care for two weeks.

Was it only his chin?

That would be silly, right?

He angled the mirror upward.

Nope.

His entire face was like that.

Frozen in time.

It was strange.

Shaving didn't seem like something that tied him to being human, but here he was now, unable to grow or change his face without striking it.

Funny how injuries could alter his appearance, but his hair growth could not.

He pondered over it for a moment.

Rapunzel's hair had stopped growing after she'd touched the rocks.

It was seventy feet consistently, never longer.

He moved into the sunlight to see himself better.

Upon looking at his reflection again, he glared.

"Sparkles, get out here."

The ghost girl appeared beside him, offering a curtsy.

"Yes, your majesty? Is something troubling you, milord?"

He pointed to his face in the mirror.

"What's wrong with my skin?? Why is it doing that to me?"

She frowned, ignoring him slightly as she pulled out her fan.

" _'It'_ being the Moonstone? Doing what exactly?", she sighed.

He gestured more aggressively towards the mirror.

" _This!_ I look like I'm dead! That's not my complexion!",he scoffed,"..How on earth could I be getting paler? And these bags?? It's been two weeks!   
_In the sunshine!_ "

Of course this thing would have to kick him while he was down.

Not only would he suffer the heartache, the blue beard, and the freaky eyes; he'd look like a corpse while he was at it.

What could possibly be motivating this thing to rip his tan from him?

" I think it's because you're organic. You're housing the Moonstone like a host vessel. You weren't made for it like the Sundrop was."

He groaned, slapping his forehead.

" _Perfect._ "

That only brought more startling questions to his mind.

Was it killing him like a parasite?

The thing had clawed its way into his chest.

It punished him horribly if he tried to grip it.

Whatever mind the stone had had instructed it to claw deep into his chest.

He felt short of breath when he thought about it.

At times he felt it pulse with his heartbeat.

He shivered.

_Ugh..._

Creepy aura aside, this was unfortunately his fate, and he'd been getting used to it.

He'd just have to get used to this part of it too.

But was the stone going to kill him eventually?

He voiced his concern to the girl.

She frowned for a moment, as if to ponder the situation.

She shook her head and turned away from him, letting out a quick sigh.

He stepped closer, persisting.

"...What..do you not know..?",his brow raised.

She huffed, clearly offended.

"The Moonstone is not yet bowing to your power. You're merely dragging it along as it tries to suit your needs. If we had the Demanitus scroll, like I said, you'd be in complete control of the rocks.",her eyes lit up with a ghoulish delight as she faced him,"But the odds are in our favor now."

Eugene frowned,"...I don't understand..I can't read the Demanitus scroll. How are we-"

She cackled, her voice shrill and grating on his ears.

The girl loomed over him with a sinister smile.

"The boy she's acquired can decipher it for us. Her timing couldn't be more perfect, your majesty!"

He stepped away from her, his guard raised.

She was awfully delighted about this.

Yet he wasn't able to grasp her motive for stringing him along if there was one.

Unless the stone was meant to devour him at some point.

Unfortunately, he had to lie down and accept whatever she gave to him.

He didn't have a better option, or a way to get rid of her.

Sparkles wasn't cruel to him or anything so far, merely suspicious and a bit creepy at times.

He didn't entirely distrust her, but he didn't entirely trust her either.

Maybe he was overthinking it.

He was grateful to have her, he couldn't deny that.

She'd worried over him when he'd been in danger before, so perhaps she was suspicious for the wrong reasons.

He squinted over the horizon beyond the cliff edge.

His chest felt heavy.

"...But..Rapunzel....",he looked back at her softly,"..I can't get near her. It's too dangerous."

The girl stopped her wide grin, her face turning gentler and more demure.

She held his hands with small, wisp-like fingers.

"I trust you to be strong, your majesty. You must avoid Rapunzel but take the boy with you. Cassandra and your other friends will try to stop you, but you must prevail. This is too important for ridding this world of evil. The Moonstone must be tamed. You must control the rocks."

He tensed, his mind racing with worry.

"...So I'm just grabbing him? How should I prepare? I'm not gonna hurt him, am I?"

She tapped his nose, humming.

"The boy is _Varian_ , son of Quirin. Your memories show you've had a bit of a history with him. Hmm..perhaps not the picture of innocence you were expecting?"

His mouth hung ajar for a moment.

Why would Rapunzel be with Varian??

How did Varian break out of the dungeons??

He'd certainly done it himself, but that was with help.

How could a scrawny teenager manage to-

A darker question crossed his mind.

Was he there to hurt Rapunzel?

He entertained the idea temporarily, sweat on his brow.

Varian wasn't just a kid.

He was dangerous.

He'd nearly killed them all.

He'd tried to destroy the kingdom.

The Amber...

If he used that on Rapunzel...

He caught himself, realizing he was gritting his teeth.

His knuckles cracked, now white beneath the gloves.

No, she was fine.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

She could handle herself.

And if something went wrong, he'd be there.

Maybe Varian was back to being the sweet, plucky kid he was before all of that happened.

He looked up at her, determined.

His acceptance of the task was clear in his demeanor alone.

His voice was low in his throat.

" _...Tell me when._ "


	15. Chapter 15

"Sorry, I hate to ask a group of travelers, but I think I'm missing something.",Lance nonchalantly revealed himself to the band of Saporians, the group raising swords at him in surprise.

He flinched, but chuckled about it.

"Hey, hey, hey...let's be friendly now! It's only a question!",he rolled his eyes playfully to give off a calm demeanor, but more specifically to watch Cass perched in the trees.

She wasn't moving yet, which was good.

She was waiting for the signal.

Andrew narrowed his eyes, looking him up and down for weapons.

"...You' Coronan?", he spat.

Lance smiled amusedly,"Pincostan. You?"

Andrew glared, playing with the angle of his longsword.

He didn't answer.

"No, no...wait a minute. Do I know you from somewhere?", Lance stepped closer to the gang, leaning over and peering at him, "I think I know you from somewhere."

The group kept their swords trained on him, clearly wary of his suspicious behavior.

Andrew glowered, eyes flickering back to the holding pen.

"You don't know me. State your purpose or get out.", the assassin snarled, "Unless you don't want your skin."

Lance laughed, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh, come on buddy! Look at you! The chin! Those cheekbones! You gotta be Flynn Rider, right? I'd love an autograph!"

Andrew frowned, scoffing in another direction.

Cass worried he might see her once she started moving.

Andrew smiled, slicking back his hair a bit.

His eyes were strained and tired, as if he was about to run out of patience.

"Yeah, sure. I'm Flynn Rider. Will you leave already?"

Lance almost snickered.

It was a risky move to combine the Pincostan backstory and Flynn, but Cass had said this guy wasn't the brightest.

Still the bet had been worth it, he had a funny story for later and a chance to play with his food for a bit.

The best part of thieving besides the riches were the schemes and pulling the wool over idiots like this guy.

Lance clicked his tongue, tapping the side of his chin.

"Hmmm...no, no, I'm sure I'm missing something."

Andrew raised the blade angrily, "You're testing your luck, pal."

He slapped his hands together with a roaring clap, drawing everyone's attention squarely to him.

"Ohh! I remember! I was missing a sword!"

Everything came together at that very moment.

Maximus burst forth from the bushes, rearing up and squealing as he kicked.

He charged forward, completely frightening the group that had been so focused on Lance only a second ago.

The Saporians aimed their swords on Max to defend themselves, trying to keep a visual on the speeding charge while defending themselves.

Lance clocked the guy nearest to him, snatching the sword from his hands.

" _Oh! Thank you~!_ "

The Saporians turned to Lance, attempting to steer him over from the pen while outrunning a horse.

The group was turned another way as Lance moved to an offensive position with the blade.

The torrent of bodies switched around each other to try to defend from an oncoming attack at either side.

Andrew was caught in the middle of it, trying to move to the outside of the chase, his back facing the holding pen.

A hard thud spooked him as it landed behind him.

He whipped around to see Cassandra.

"C-Cass..?!",he gawked.

" _Hi._ "

Her fist cracked hard across his face, dropping him to the dirt in an instant.

Cass drew her blade, standing on his body as she shouted.

"Who else wants to step up?!! No takers?!!"

The Saporians grabbed their weapons and scattered, leaving their unconscious leader completely in the dust.

Typical Saporians, turning their backs on each other.

Though she supposed there was merit in not wanting to die.

But still, what scumbags.

Maximus slowed down into a happy trot as he cantered to her side.

He let out an excited whinny as she stroked his snout.

"Yeah, you did good out there, Max.", she smiled.

Her chest settled with relief.

"Huh.", Lance frowned, staring off into the horizon, "I didn't expect them to just bail like that. I mean, less work for me, but damn. I almost feel bad for the guy."

Cass chuckled, "Says the thief."

He bent over and mocked her smile, "If you think _I'm_ a turncoat, then you've never-"

Maximus nudged both of them with his head, fussing at them as he pointed towards the door.

They swallowed their insults and nodded.

Rapunzel was the main priority right now.

After they'd stripped his sword and taken his other belongings, Maximus hoisted Andrew so Cass could pin him to a tree, Lance's shoulders serving as her stool.

Height was key, considering they didn't want him to break out while they were dealing with Raps or more assassins in the pen.

Lance complained a bit about the armor weight, but they managed to stick the guy up there just fine.

Cass dusted off her hands and moved towards the pen door.

The three of them exchanged looks as she slowly creaked open the door, readying her blade as she kicked it open.

"DROP THE PRINCESS!! WE-"

The group's eyes widened, jaws dropping.

Rapunzel was perfectly fine.

Sure, she was a bit bruised, specifically her nose, but Varian and Pascal were working to dab her injuries and clean her up.

Varian.

Rapunzel quickly lurched in front of him as the group entered, making the teen squeak.

Varian toppled out of his chair in fright, so Rapunzel shifted slightly to cover him.

"Raps! That's _VARIAN!_ ", Cass blurted, her sword tight in her grip.

Rapunzel nodded, still standing in front of him.

"It's okay guys! He wants to be a better person!", she pleaded, "He just needs some friends who can count on him! We have to be there for him!"

Varian scooped himself up from the floor, huddling behind Rapunzel as he glared, his eyes frightened.

Cass thinned her lip.

She looked back to Lance.

He seemed as hesitant as she was, maybe a bit more wary.

Rapunzel stared up at them with a pleading green gaze.

Cass sighed, sheathing her blade.

Lance gawked at her for a moment before begrudgingly doing the same.

He mumbled something about forgiving too many people who tried to kill them, but was cut off as Cass jabbed her elbow into his stomach.

Rapunzel smiled, her shoulders slack with relief.

She turned back to Varian, offering his hand a little squeeze.

Pascal chirped, happily scurrying onto the princess's shoulder.

The group stepped out of the pen, setting off to grab Fidella.

Varian rubbed his arm sheepishly.

Rapunzel tried to keep him close and comforted.

The last thing she wanted to do was make him anxious.

She'd had enough of that herself for all of them.

She wanted him to trust her again, to trust Corona.

Hopefully her turnaround streak wouldn't be broken.

It distracted her heart from the soul crushing weight of Eugene to think about making the rest of them happy.

With Varian on their side, they would be even closer to finding him.

If he was willing to decipher the Demanitus scroll for them, that is.

Maximus brought her out of her thoughts with a quick nose bump of encouragement.

She giggled, snuggling his long face and stroking his opalescent fur.

"You were a very brave horse! _Vewwy bwave_..", she cooed.

"Speaking of which.", Cass looked back at Varian,"...Care to explain why you were with some Saporians?"

Varian chuckled, sweating.

"...Well....um...they happened to be there when I broke out of my quarters.", he cringed a bit,"...I kind of blew up my cell. And some other things."

The group stopped in their tracks, gawking at him.

"...You blew up the dungeon??!", Rapunzel gasped.

"The Saporians just invaded the castle??!", Cass snapped.

Varian shrunk away from them.

"Well, no, no. I just blew up my cell floor. But...yeah, the Saporians tried to take over the castle."

He threw up his hands in an anxious blur, "Key word: _tried!_ Those guys are here, aren't they? Or..they were! Look, the point is that six people can't really have an uprising. They caused a commotion, broke in, and I did the rest of the work. They were looking for Princess Rapunzel, and you weren't there."

His voice was firmer now.

"...Your dad was...reasonably angry. I kind of threatened him and your mom. Basically the whole kingdom. It was mostly Andrew, but I certainly talked...", he sighed,"...Basically I said I'd go find you cause you weren't there and the Saporians thought it was a great idea. And now...well. Um. Let's just say the kingdom is being heavily guarded. Much _much_ more than usual."

Cass raised an eyebrow,"...What are you talking about? King Frederic sent his best man away, who's leading the guard in formation? What about the new kingdom defenses? Is the wall back up?-"

Lance shushed her, "Geez, Cass! Let the kid finish!"

She shot him a dirty glare.

Varian swallowed hard.

"The King said that they'd be exiling us, and the wall is being fixed. It's pretty insane actually, they have these archers and-"

He shook his head a bit, trying to stay on track.

"Basically Corona is in a lockdown until your return, Rapunzel."

Her heart sank.

She wanted nothing more than to tear that wall down.

She wanted her people to be happy and free.

Sure a lockdown was a tactical move, but it was a cold, awful one.

She bit her lip anxiously.

"But that's okay!", Varian tried to smile bigger, "We can start the journey back, and you can go save my dad! Your people are saved, and it's a win-win!"

Rapunzel held her shoulder, her thoughts and heart heavy.

That was the last thing she needed to hear.

Cassandra was insanely patriotic; would she leave her too?

Lance certainly wouldn't return with them if they didn't have Eugene.

Could she even bring herself to go home?

She'd kick herself daily for what happened to Eugene.

But leaving her kingdom behind made her scared and worried.

She tried to force away her negative thoughts.

Eugene was the smarter option, getting him back took much less travel and it would be better to go back home without another threat looming in the distance.

Not that Eugene was a threat of course.

His powers were.

And he was all alone.

She cursed herself as she spoke.

"Varian...", she started,"...You know I told you I can't do that right now. I need to find Eugene. I'm not going home unless I can bring him back."

Varian looked away from her, embarrassed by his suggestion.

She tried to hold him again to reassure him.

He shook off her advance,"...Yeah. You did say that. Sorry, I kinda forgot with everything that just happened. I understand. You lost someone you love."

He looked up at her with a small smile, choosing then to take her hand.

"...So I'll help. You did ask for it."

She almost laughed with relief.

"Great!..I..um. We have a scroll I want you to look at. If you're up for it."

He chuckled, trying to look cool.

"Cracking a code to help Flynn Rider and save the entire kingdom? Pssh. I'm your man."


	16. Chapter 16

The sun beat down on him through the trees, but the armor suited itself to fit his needs, circumventing the air around him and shaping to an unspoken will.

He hated when it did that.

It was creepy.

The more things acted out of his control, the more he felt like the stone was going to go berserk and swallow him completely.

This was apparently the embodiment of pure evil after all.

He stared up through the treetops.

It was better him than Rapunzel herself...if that devouring thing _did_ happen.

His eyes fret over the map Stalyan had given him.

Their rendezvous point was many days away.

Even so, he had to intercept Varian from the other group in the meantime.

If he wanted to save Corona, he had to go back to them.

He squinted over the hills before him.

It was unfortunate that he'd have to trek back, especially after he'd gotten such a lead going.

He put those thoughts behind him, focusing now on breakfast.

Unfortunately, he'd run out of arrows yesterday morning, and he wasn't willing to tear open the mountain in a botched attempt to use his powers.

Eugene sighed, bundling up in a cloak and preparing to hunt with a carving knife.

The great-sword was a bit too heavy to be practical for this, even if he didn't love the idea of hunting with only a carving knife.

He stared at the weapon after trying to pierce some fish in the river.

This knife wouldn't be good for everything.

Fishing was fine, but hunting bigger animals?

He settled on working to carve new arrows from the trees around him.

He could chip some normal rocks to serve as heads for them.

A slightly cocky smile rose on his face at his outdoorsman musings.

There was something nice about being "King of the Woods" again, as Hookfoot had put it.

Considering his entire identity had been put into question with this sudden Moonstone destiny and the Dark Kingdom, taking some pride in his survival skills made him feel like himself again.

Sure he had blue hair and freaky rock armor, but he was definitely Eugene Fitzherbert here.

Eugene stifled his fleeting mind from relating his foresting independence to Flynn, even if part of him knew that was right.

He entertained another worrying thought as he carved the knife along the tree.

Was Eugene really who he was now?

His name was very important to him.

It meant that he was different, that he was a new human being.

Someone who could love well and hopefully be strong for the people around him.

Someone who wasn't selfish or horrible like Flynn Rider.

Eugene was the real him.

The name Rapunzel liked best.

The name that only sounded sweet when she said it.

Was he still Eugene?

Who even was he?

His identity was a muddied mess to him now.

He'd thought his identity was being beside Rapunzel, a reformed thief and proud citizen of Corona.

This self was a prince.

A lost prince of some forgotten abyss of a kingdom.

Running away was his life's work.

Guarding the Moonstone was his identity.

He shook his head, grumbling to himself.

There was no point in dwelling on it further, he'd have a reaction with the rocks if he wasn't careful.

He sighed, pressing his hand longingly against the tree bark.

He couldn't feel beneath his gloved fingertips.

He was alien to all the natural forces around him.

For a moment he wanted to hug the tree, just to hold something firmly again.

He grimaced.

How crazy was he getting out here anyways??

He took a deep breath.

His heart began to race as his ears perked up.

A loud crash rang behind him, something clearly shattering against the rock formations.

He clenched his knife tightly, now on edge.

Why had a barrier risen up as a reflex to that noise??

Clearly a weapon had shattered, but who...

He straightened his back, ears wary to any sound that came near him.

His hand reached up to pull his sword from its sheath.

Something whizzed through the air, slamming into his raised hand and pinning him the tree.

He struggled, kicking his feet to plant them against the bark for a foothold.

Strangely enough, he felt nothing in his hand, though he was sure it hadn't shattered against the armor.

His eyes widened at the dirty trickle of red down the tree.

His hand had been pinned above him in a manner that was not only uncomfortable, but hard to see from his vantage point.

Eugene's eyes crept upward with a morbid curiosity.

It was normal to want to look at an injury, whether it was a splinter, or a bloody scrape on your knee.

He paled at the black hatchet spitting the middle of his hand apart.

The mushy sinews and froth of it all...

Bile threatened to rise in his throat.

He'd seen bad injuries before...but this was _him._

This was _his_ hand.

Those were _his_ bones fractured like little spikes amongst the mass of tangled flesh beneath his skin.

Unfortunately, that was when the shock started to wear thin.

Pain registered fast with him like a speeding horse-cart.

A pain he had never known before.

A scream rose from him in pure fright at the ghoulish, agonizing display.

_His hand was about to come off..._

_His hand was about to come off..._

Blue eyes flickered frantically over the entire scene before him.

That hatchet wasn't just black.

It was sharpened rock.

_..From the Dark Kingdom._

Adira was already back here??!

" _HORACE!_ Stop _right_ there!"

His blood chilled every part of him in an icy terror.

_His father._

Oh god, why had his father followed him here??!

His mind was racing.

His father did this.

He was crazy.

_Completely_ crazy.

Eugene scrambled up the tree to try freeing himself with his left hand.

Sweat beat down his neck as he trembled.

This was a nightmare.

_The king was going to kill him and take the Moonstone back._

_No, he'd break all his bones and keep him locked in a dungeon somewhere deep and dark in the castle._

_No, he'd-_

He heard heavy horse hooves stomping the ground.

_No, no..don't be silly, he'd just knock him out and take him as a prisoner._

...Just like they'd fought back then.

When he'd thrown his son down a flight of stairs.

Eugene tried to stop the terror onset that came with the shock of his situation.

His injury was making him more panicked than he needed to be.

Was it the blood-loss?

It had only been a few seconds, right?

_Right?_

He grunted, still holding back moans of pain as he wrenched the hatchet from his palm.

" _Flower-gleam-and-glow-let-your-power-shine-_ ",he sped through the incantation opening with one breath.

" _Horace!!_ "

He nearly shouted, trying to control his voice as he rattled off the spell's words, still prying the last bit of the hatchet from his hand.

" _Make-the-clock-reverse-bring-back-what-once-was-mine!-Ngh!_ "

He panted, dropping out of the tree at the last note and yanking the weapon down with him.

He instantly checked over his hand, heart pounding.

The skin was much paler than he'd remembered it being beneath the armor.

His breath was ragged and frightened holding the limp pieces of his hand together by bones splitting off in trees from his wrist.

"Come on, come on-",he begged the stone, clutching his wrist.

Had he sung it too fast?

Did it not count as singing if he rattled it out as fast as he could manage?

Did he need to annunciate better?-

He let out a high pitched cry in surprise as he was slammed into a trunk behind him, bunched up in some sort of trap.

His hand finally began to sew closed.

Well at least something was going his way today.

His father finally appeared, seeming pretty proud of himself from slinging that net.

He rode atop a large, black and white speckled horse, climbing off with a sigh of relief.

"Whew. Thank the gods I found you, Horace! Adira played a nasty trick on me, let me tell you that."

Eugene glared, scrunching his nose up.

This guy was clearly off the rails but not enough to kill him.

What the hell was this chummy attitude he was giving him?

They weren't friends.

They're weren't bonding.

He'd pinned him to a tree like a goddamn animal.

At least this time it wasn't his hand.

Edmund wiped the sweat from his brow.

"That woman is crazy sometimes. _Really crazy._ ", his shifting cloak revealed that his right arm was missing,"...But lucky for all of us, I found you!"

His more lighthearted façade quickly fell away as he noticed the bloody hatchet.

Edmund choked a bit on his words, as if reliving a bad memory.

"...You..."

He swallowed.

"...You aren't hurt...are you.. Horace?", his voice remained at a low, steady pitch.

Eugene narrowed his eyes.

First Cass and now him.

Did anyone realize how insane it was to hurl a weapon at a guy?

He took a moment to respond, instead curling his hand to see if it had healed yet.

Fatigue already nipped at him like a snake at his heel.

The healing incantation certainly took a lot of energy out of him.

He rolled his eyes, " _EU-GEEN._ "

He dragged the vowels hard, stretching the "n" sound to finish.

"..And I'm great actually. Thanks for asking. Really loved the whole 'impale my hand' part. I'd totally recommend it.", he mocked, "Ya' know, funnily enough, you're not the first crazy person to throw something at me! Maybe next time you'll hit my neck and put me out of my misery!"

Edmund narrowed his eyes back.

"...I didn't think I'd have raised a _smart-ass._ "

Eugene glowered, "..Implying you _did_ any raising."

Edmund grew more serious, his eyebrow halfcocked.

"...Horace, you know that you drove me to this.", he retrieved the dark hatchet from the dirt,"...I don't want to hurt my own flesh and blood. You're all I have left of her."

Their eyes met as he stepped closer.

He sighed, "...But I won't falter here. I won't fail again."

His fingers tightly clasped around the handle of the throwing axe, cracking from strain and intensity on his knuckles.

"I swore an oath to protect the Moonstone with my life. My brothers are scattered, and my closest brother betrayed me for the Sundrop. But I won't falter.", his eyes were wild and determined as he glared at him with grit,"...I'm taking you back with me, whether you like it or not. You're _my_ son, and you'll obey me. You'll stop with this selfish delusion of yours and take up the mantle your ancestors left behind for you!"

His heavy brow tensed.

"I can't risk touching the stone, but since it's lodged in your body now, I'll be forced to take you prisoner. I'm sorry, Horace, but if you have any respect for your mother...for _your legacy_ , you'll come back willingly. Do you understand?"

Eugene clenched his fists, playing with his previously torn hand for a moment to admire the miraculous healing it undertook.

"How dare you talk to me like you even know me at all!!",he snapped, blue eyes blazing, "You don't know me!! I'm not _your_ son, I'm not a part of your _Dark Kingdom_ , and I don't give a _damn_ about my legacy!! I don't have to do a thing you say!! You're just a crazy, sad, horribly confused man, who is _so_ blind, that he can't even see how his _son_ is actually _protecting_ the Moonstone!!"

His nostrils flared like a bull.

"I've already learned more about controlling the stone than you _ever_ could just sitting around ruling a bunch of _rocks_ for all eternity!", Eugene snarled, "Boy, am I glad you didn't raise me! I'd be _completely_ insane!"

Edmund stepped forward, provoked.

"Bite your tongue!...You can't possibly think you can control that thing..it's madness! You'll damn us all!", his father shouted, his tone wavering in shock.

"I'm _saving_ the _world!!_ ",Eugene grit his teeth assertively.

Edmund held out his axe for a moment, "..Horace, I understand you want to help the Sundrop, but you can't waste all your energy running from that group! If you'd only listened to me and kept her away from all this or taken care of her in the name of our family while we had the chance, I would-"

Eugene yelled, slapping his hands to the sides of his temple in frustration.

"The Sundrop..!! The _Sundrop?!! Ugh!!_ You don't know a _thing_ , do you?!",he barked, "The Sundrop isn't just a person!! You know so little about me, that you'd ever even _think_ I'd kill her?!"

Rocks flourished around him in a threatening ripple.

Edmund gripped his weapon tighter.

"...I understand that she's the princess of Corona-",he was cut off by another exasperated groan from Eugene.

"That _princess_ is the love of my life!!"

Rocks shot forth, higher and higher.

" _You're_ the selfish one! You can't be bothered to care about me or my feelings, or the life of a woman whose more important than you could _ever_ know!!"

He threw out his hands, pillars snapping the net around him.

A blossom of spires bloomed around him, varying in width in size as a response to his anger.

The sheer amount of them was enough to visibly shake him, draining his energy to fuel their conquest.

Eugene panted, feet shifting to keep himself steady.

The Moonstone pulsed with a brilliant cyan, sparks seeping out around it.

The two stared at each other.

The only sound was Eugene's harsher breathing.

Edmund looked gravely at his axe.

"...So, you refuse?", his gaze shifted to his son.

Eugene nodded, trying to catch his breath.

Edmund's eyes were heavy.

He bit his chapped lip, furred under a large mustache.

The black blade gleamed in the sunlight, glowing the same blue as the great-sword at his son's back.

"...Then, I'm sorry. You've forced my hand.", his dark eyes looked resiliently soft,"...Whatever happens, I love you, son."

Eugene cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulder and grounding his feet.

There was nothing sentimental to feel towards this old man.

This crazy, crazy, completely delusional old man.

Adira had pointed it out to him earlier how he believed the Dark King was his family, but now it felt...complicated.

He didn't know this man.

He didn't love him.

His words may have made him think for a moment, but this wasn't like when Rapunzel had turned on _her_ father.

She had this wild, righteous and grieving look in her eyes when she'd resigned to fight her father's wishes.

She clearly knew and loved that man.

But here...?

..With him?

Back in the Dark Kingdom he'd cried against this man.

He'd clawed at his chest and wept at his feet.

Eugene gathered himself, staring at his father now.

He could easily put all of this into perspective if he tried.

He wasn't crying out of love back there, that much was obvious.

His tears came from frustration, anger, and a long held bitterness that he'd pushed away for so long.

He felt choked up over a mother he never knew because _exactly_ that: he never knew her.

She died horribly and tragically and he had never even heard her speak.

Those years of yearning and longing for a family, the years of putting that life away and wanting more...

Finally finding out his family was a complete mess: one, dead, the other, a loon with some horrible destiny to impart on him.

He remembered staring up at the ceiling and out the window as a stupid kid, his mind racing with the possibilities of who his parents might be or where they were.

The hope that one day the Fitzherberts would walk in and claim him, reuniting him with a big, happy family.

But those were the whims of a stupid kid.

A kid too young to realize that Fitzherbert wasn't even his real name.

Those people didn't exist.

It was all a lie.

And now, his life was a lie.

An _even bigger_ lie.

Even all his time as Flynn Rider was a lie.

Flynn Rider wasn't real, Eugene Fitzherbert wasn't real, and whoever this Horace person was, he-

Eugene shook his head to stop the thoughts from consuming his brain.

He leapt back to avoid the swing from his father.

Edmund wasn't waiting any longer, and he wasn't holding back.

Eugene raised his hands up sharply, startled by the axe strike.

A flurry of pillars shot up around him like a messy barrier.

Edmund swung through one of the gaps in the black fence of stone.

Eugene stumbled, throwing his hands down at his feet.

A platform sprang from the earth, thrusting him backwards.

He caught himself with another pillar at Edmund's pursuit.

He twisted his hips to dodge the hatchet, nearly tumbling off balance as the pillar rumbled to life.

" _Woah..woah-woah!_ ", he forced his feet to stay planted as the pillar spiraled upwards in circles, shooting high in the sky above the treetops.

He shifted his weight to keep himself from falling.

Eugene paused with ragged breath, in awe and fear of what he'd accidentally created.

Seventy feet of magical hair would certainly make him feel much safer at this height dropping down.

The magic shield would work too.

All he had were rocks that only sometimes listened and a healing incantation.

His eyes scanned the layout of the land around him.

How was he supposed to get down from here?

Sure, the rocks had caught him last time, but that didn't always work.

If his bones broke he'd have the healing incantation, so maybe it was worth a shot.

He shivered at the grizzly thought, deciding to take a leap of faith.

His toes clung against the surface of the pillar as the entire prism began to shake.

His eyes darted downwards.

Edmund hacked another mighty swing to fell the tower.

Unfortunately, it _worked._

Cracks raced up the pillar as the bottom crumbled to pieces, working to turn the entire rock to dust.

Eugene squeaked, the ground sinking in an instant and promising to give way in a matter of seconds.

He leapt off the platform, desperate.

_Fuck_ , this was a stupid idea.

_Fuck_ , this was a stupid idea.

He threw his hands up, kicking as he plummeted.

His legs met another stone, making him almost cheer.

An impish grin smeared across his face to couple the frantic relief he was feeling.

If Edmund wanted to chase him, he'd let him chase him.

He leapt off another platform, catching him at a lower height, and continued this trend until he was at a safe height to dive off.

He barely touched the ground with his palms, tucking in his legs and rolling across the dirt.

He sprung up again, beaming.

Man, did it feel good to do that.

The stone coaxed his greater perception, his ears perking up at the sound of horse hooves in the distance.

He laughed.

This really was like old times, wasn't it?

He skid around a thick tree knot, dirt and rocks flying up in his wake.

A whistle danced off his wet lips.

For once in a while, he was having the time of his life.

He dug his left heel into the grass to catch himself from skidding too far, turning back with his momentum to race to where he'd come from.

Edmund was likely hot on his heels, but he needed to grab his supplies.

He arched his body into a better shape for running long-distance.

Her heard the horse pick up speed.

His back arched further.

His stride broke as the hatchet sailed into his shoulder.

The blade sunk ghoulishly into the meeting tendon between his arm and his torso.

He stumbled, gasping.

A wave of rocks shot back behind him as he pulled out his sword to stay on balance.

Eugene ripped the hatchet from his shoulder, hurling it into a thicket of brush and deep into a tree stump.

He quickly ducked around another gathering of woods, his back to the bark.

" _Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design.._ "

His limbs felt heavier than they'd ever been.

He grimaced.

It wasn't like he had a choice to stop using his powers.

He didn't want to risk leaving the wound be.

" _Save..what has been lost...._ "

Sweat trickled thinly down his cheeks.

" _Bring back..what once...was..mine…_ "

He sunk against the frame of the tree, his adrenaline fading out like a retreating tide.

His chest rose in a more dramatic display as he felt drawn to cover the Moonstone.

His breath was hot and ragged.

_No...no..no…_

He grit his teeth, clawing into the bark to try to support himself.

" _..R...pun...zel...._ ",he winced, stabbing his sword into the earth as a cane for his weight.

The horse hooves weren't far behind.

He was in no position to keep running.

He panted, clutching the stone tightly.

A jolt of pain shot through his arm before the artifact seemed to realize he was being kind towards it.

" _Moon..stone...?_ ",he struggled to stand.

"You called? Oh goodness, you look horrible. Need me to step in for a bit? I can make an excellent suggestion."

Her voice was as fluttery and cutting as ever.

A strange concoction of cute and creepy.

He glanced over his shoulder, "..Let me hear it..."

She playfully drummed her fingertips together.

"The Decay Incantation. The Moonstone's _sweetheart_ spell.", she smiled, moving to take his jaw in her hands, " You've done excellently so far with it. I'm sure this time will be no different."

He squinted at her.

"...But won't..that..-"

She placed a finger to his lips.

"No one will die. The Dark King should be smart enough to run away from a battle he can't win."

He shook his head.

"No way..",he managed to plant his feet firmly in the dirt,"...I..can't-"

She sighed and curtsied.

"Fine, fine. Suit yourself. After all, what do you need me for?"

He sighed, starting to defend himself to her with an apology.

Then he got an idea.

He started to scale the tree he'd been leaning against, which was almost more effort than it was worth.

He draped himself in his cloak, crouching down on a taller branch.

Edmund dashed under the tree with his horse.

The moment he crossed, Eugene swung down and kicked him off the beast, taking his place.

The horse kept charging.

Eugene took a deep breath of relief, smiling.

So being Flynn Rider was good for something.

His father shouted after him, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the distance.

It was nice to steal a stupid horse versus one like Maximus that had loyalties and a weird brain.

_...However Max worked._

The girl appeared beside him, leaning against his arm with an amused giggle.

"Well now! That was certainly impressive."

He smirked, offering a tired chuckle back.

Finally, things were looking up for him.


	17. Chapter 17

Rapunzel ran her fingers tentatively through her hair, causing the blonde mess to become less braided around her face with every stroke.

Cass had demanded that she stay behind her in case anything happened again, which set her on edge more than anything else.

Being kidnapped in the night seemed to make everyone go on lock-down around her.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

Varian tried to stay behind the group as much as possible, but Cass and Lance had suggested that he stay in the middle "for his safety", though it was easy to see that they still didn't trust him enough to leave him in a perfect position for betrayal.

Varian was a smart kid, but he seemed to either ignore the implication or pretend to go along with it.

After studying his childlike posture and closed off movements for long enough, she deduced that he was terrified to act around them.

He'd burned a lot of bridges, but she liked building and fixing bridges.

And who didn't want to fix a perfectly good bridge anyways?

She walked closer to him, studying over his shoulder at the odd walking stick he carried.

She'd seen it before, but it looked a little different, so that was a potential talking point.

Breaking the ice was always super awkward, but hey, it only meant super fun talks later!

She frowned a bit as Cass cut away foliage from the front of the pack with a blade.

Earlier on their adventure she'd sometimes let Rapunzel do it herself, because she loved feeling capable with the saber.

Alas, her safety was more important...again.

She huffed internally, but was reassured by the scaly nuzzle against her cheek.

She smiled, smooching his tiny head.

Pascal always managed to cheer her up.

He was an instant blue sky when her world got all grey.

Her eyes fell back to the young alchemist in front of her. 

She let her voice ring softly, as to not startle him.

" _Sooo~_...", she sang,"...What'd you add to _that_ thing?"

He jumped, beet red in embarrassment at how startled he was.

Cass whipped back with concern, groaning when there was nothing there.

Varian swallowed an apology as he turned back to the princess.

"....Um...Yeah..It's...it's a little different from..before.."

He anxiously kneaded the metal.

Rapunzel felt her heart wilt a bit.

"You know, Cass and Lance trust you very much.",she pet his shoulder,"I trust you, Pascal trusts you, Max trusts you, Fidella trusts you-"

She carefully avoided stepping on an ant hill before continuing her talk.

"..I think they're just a little freaked out right now. They believe me and you, they just...",she bit her tongue,"...Well we've had a lot of betrayals recently. I'm sure they just don't want you to get hurt."

He nodded, making her feel lighter, even if he clearly was aware of the unspoken reason.

The last time he'd seen Cass, he'd tried to crush her with an automaton.

The only time Lance had ever met Varian was when he'd been trying to kill him with a battalion of them.

She still felt a bit scared that he would lash out, but that tiny fear was overwhelmed with a sense of empathy toward his humanity.

She saw a hurt, remorseful young man that was trying to be better as of only a few hours ago.

But most importantly, she saw someone who regretting his poor decision in trying to do what he thought was best.

And she'd forgive anyone for that.

She stopped herself from going on an emotional tangent by trying to talk with Varian again.

"...But about this..torch..stick..thingy. That looks fun to put together! What're the glowing lights made of?"

He cheered up considerably at her interest, still red in the cheeks.

"Glowing lights?-Oh, Oh! You mean the Flynnolium!",he pointed to the glowing green bulb,"The pink is a sister to it. I call that, _Flynnolium P~!_ Get it? Cause it's pink Flynnollium?"

Her smile faltered,"...Flynnollium..?"

Pascal curled up into a tighter ball on her shoulder, pushing his side into her neck.

Varian nodded, gingerly fingering the outside of the bulbs.

"Yeah! It can do anything! It's easily combustible when oxidized, it has luminary properties, it's got a high boiling point-",he chuckled to himself,"It can do anything! Just like its..."

He stopped himself as he met eyes with Rapunzel, slurring the last part of the sentence out.

"...co...creator."

He swallowed hard,"Sorry...I..babble."

She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's okay, Varian. I'm actually a..big....babbler.",she sweat,"..I talk.....a lot."

The air felt clouded and heavy between them, like someone over-spoke.

It was probably her own fault.

She stared down at her feet, combing through her hair quicker now.

"..So..what was he like?"

She looked back at him, still clinging to her locks.

Varian rubbed his arm sheepishly, trying to meet her eye.

She cocked her head.

"When he rescued you, I mean. I've always been dying to know.",he could hardly contain his sparkling grin,"..I-it's the only one they haven't written a book about yet!"

She flushed, her heart doing flips.

Hearing that made her feel a million different kinds of emotions at once.

Sadness at his leaving.

Joy from memories.

Fear for the future.

She chuckled.

"...Well the rescue wasn't when we'd first met. I know some people asked me that at the castle."

Varian waved his hand, snorting,"Of course it wasn't! Flynn Rider stories always have a ton of rising action. Everything is very cleverly built from the start."

He pointed a finger upwards,"..Which brings me to my next observation. If I start from the beginning, I get to know more about you too."

She smiled, moving Pascal onto the back of her hand, watching him stretch and coil around her fingers.

"Soooo~...was he seeking refuge in your tower? Was there a battle at the scene? Was he being chased by an assassin??"

Varian nearly bounced in anticipation.

She laughed softly, fingers trailing to her lips.

"I hit him with a frying pan and stuffed him in my closet."

Varian made an odd face.

His nose scrunched,"...Really?...That's...not..very...heroic."

Rapunzel smirked," Well, I certainly felt heroic. It was the first time I'd ever smacked a guy with one of these."

She spun the ringed handle of her pan around her fingers, Pascal puffing out his chest from her other hand to support her handiwork.

Rapunzel noticed his strange stare and flushed, gripping the pan over her chest.

"...I mean..Not now, of course. Now I kinda feel bad about it. These things hurt-",she put the pan away, putting on a smile again to ease the waters in case she sounded too mean.

Varian raised an eyebrow, but tried to settle himself, raising his hands to stop her.

"Wait, wait, hold on. So when did he sweep you off your feet?"

Cass rolled her eyes,"... _Oh, brother_..."

Varian continued,"Well, everyone knows that he saved you from a tower, but I want the details!..How did he get pardoned by the king?? Did any of the Marauders of Mandalore attack?-...I always wondered if they were really dead or not, but anyway!-When did he realize you were the lost princess? When did you realize you were the lost princess?When did he-"

Rapunzel sweat, waving her hands to stop him in return.

"Slow down a bit! I need a moment to answer, don't I?"

Varian shut his mouth and nodded.

She twirled Pascal around her fingers as he crawled across her wrist.

"I think it just happened over time..maybe after we almost drowned specifically, but I've loved him ever since.",she stared at the ground below her, a light pink tinting her cheeks.

She let Pascal back onto her shoulder as she smoothed the pleat of her skirt.

"...There were no marauders or anything fancy...even if there were some people in our way...it was just...us."

She smiled as she clumped a layer of her skirt.

It warmed her heart to remember being so new to the world, so free and in love with all her surroundings.

Especially a particularly handsome surrounding, with such enchanting features...

He was so alien to her at the time, the first man she'd ever seen as living, breathing flesh.

He wasn't like anything she'd seen on paper before, or the nasty images Gothel created to scare her with.

She found herself drawn to a very strange looking person.

Strange wasn't necessarily bad in this case, but he certainly wasn't like anything she'd ever seen.

Even now, she clearly pictured his tan, rugged face, etched with a statuesque jawline and sleek cheekbones.

Those few wrinkles that pinched his baked skin whenever he narrowed his eyebrows.

That striking nose that would frame his features like a painting and nuzzle into her hair when they embraced.

That bright smile that made her bashfully aware of her own teeth's imperfections at the time.

Those eyes that were such a rich color, setting her heart into motion.

That soft tuft on his chin that tended to brush her forehead.

She felt her throat start to close.

Those strong hands entwining with her own.

She bit her lip, her green eyes now cloudy with regret.

She missed him.

She missed being with him.

She missed everything about him.

Her eyes flickered to Cass, clearing away more brush from atop Fidella.

Eugene didn't trust her to do anything dangerous for herself either, did he?

He and Cass were far too concerned with keeping her safe.

She narrowed her eyes, hurt.

She didn't want anyone to risk their lives for her.

She didn’t want to have to watch anyone die.

She didn't want to feel powerless to stop it.

The way she'd felt at the tower two years ago, holding him in her arms, unable to do anything but cry over him.

She didn't want to not be able to help.

She had the title of princess keeping her as this delicate flower in all of their eyes, making her too important to not protect.

She understood this also came from a place of love, but wouldn't putting trust in others or supporting a friend come from that place as well?

Why had Eugene not trusted her?

She had no idea what the Moonstone could have done to her, besides the dying possibility, but she wanted to save her kingdom.

The rocks seemed guiding and friendly to her presence, at least enough to give her blind faith in a future.

She didn't want to spend her life trapped behind Corona walls.

She wanted to find her purpose, to find a destiny.

Her entire life had been basically taken from her up to the past two years had happened.

Eighteen years locked in a tower..

Eighteen years in total darkness...of lies, and of being kept from the entire world around her.

She wanted to be free.

She wanted to prove herself to her father.

She wanted friends.

She wanted adventure.

She wanted love.

She wanted a purpose, an identity.

She wasn't a prisoner, she was a lousy queen regent, she was an okay princess, but she had a magical destiny to discover who she really was, to discover what she was meant for.

There had to be something she was meant to do, she was struggling to fit the roles that had already been placed on her.

She wanted to please everyone, and she wanted to please herself.

She wanted more, and to be more.

She already saw everyone around her as so much more.

Cass was more than a friend or a lady in waiting.

She was strong and smart.

She inspired her everyday to be better.

She was dependable, she meant the world and more to her.

And her smile was one of the kindest she'd ever seen.

And Eugene-

She looked back to Varian in the corner of her eye as she'd continued telling him the story of her life's beginning, and who began it.

Her eyes drifted to the hem of her skirt, to her fingers grasping it.

Eugene.

Eugene was more.

He was everything she could have dreamed of.

He was her new dream.

He was brilliant...and sweet...and caring..

Her mind raced back to that horrible night at the Dark Kingdom.

He'd lied to her to try to ease her pain, to reassure her after she was devastated.

But those bright, blue eyes were poor at hiding his true intentions.

She saw him racked with guilt.

She saw him nearly choke at promising her a different love or a different future.

She knew him, or at least she knew the real him.

The part that he'd confided in her alone at the campfire after they'd just cheated death.

Eugene.

She saw no problem with the name he'd abhorred before he met her.

His eyes seemed to light up whenever she said it, his cheeks flaring the slightest hue against his worldly complexion.

The way her lips parted and tongue caressed the roof of her mouth as she said it.

She loved saying it.

She loved hearing it.

She loved seeing it.

There was a reason she felt the need to paint "Rapunzel + Eugene" onto everything at least once.

There was a reason she painted them embracing so often, holding hands or wrapped in each other's arms, the occasional kiss sneaking onto the walls or pages of her journal.

She loved him.

Her heart felt even heavier now, a noticeable lull in the excitement of her story to Varian.

She knew that he was more.

She remembered the tender embrace of her new family when they'd first reunited, Eugene included.

She remembered how patiently he'd waited while she became acquainted, being pushed throughout this palace of new life and new color.

Decrees and announcements being written while she'd reached to try to hold his hand.

That chilly moment as he had to explain himself after her, a dryer air as he handed the crown back to them with an apology.

She'd felt herself grow still with worry as her parents' demeanor changed upon realizing who he was.

Rapunzel remembered how quickly she'd taken his hand in her own again, brow creasing, lips pursed.

Eugene delayed a squeeze of her hand back, seemingly stunned by her even taking it in the first place.

He didn't squeeze it back.

He stared at her, almost afraid of how tightly she held his hand, of how fearful her eyes were, of how pale she'd become with worry over his fate.

The desperate plea to her parents that followed.

The pardoning dispute before the court, where everyone present looked at him with such disdain.

His eyes never met hers until the very end, though she desperately wanted his gaze to calm her nerves.

At the time, she'd believed her parents saw the same goodness in him that she did, thus their push for pardoning.

She later figured that it was because of herself completely, that they'd just gotten their daughter back and didn't want her to cry.

Her pleas were the only thing that kept him alive and in the castle.

Her father had cleaned out a small supply room and chipped out a window upon her request.

Her suggestion of placing another bed in her room for him or sharing it had been denied, her 'friend' being deliberately placed on a completely different floor to her's.

It had taken months for them both to become acquainted with the castle life, her favorite part being the lack of chores and his being the self-care.

It had taken over half a year for her parents to stop calling Eugene her 'friend', though the uncomfortable stares or being advised not to kiss him stopped earlier on.

He was more than a thief who'd stumbled upon her.

He was worth more to her then that.

He was worth more than he could ever know.

She bit down on her lip to contain herself.

He had no reason to think he was expendable, so why did he act like it when her life was on the line?

Why did he need to condemn himself for her sake?

He clearly saw how much his betrayal hurt her, so why go through with it?

Why did he not trust her?

She knew why deep down.

It was love, but it was something that worried her beyond belief.

Her nightmare many nights ago had served to prey on this exact feeling of dread she always had around his sacrifices.

She was almost grateful for that mocking vision of the ghost girl Cass had warned her about.

Up until then, a lingering horror surfaced in the back of her mind that he'd let something horrible happen to himself to keep her from ever finding him.

At least he was alive.

But now more worries flooded through her.

That girl had said she was manipulating him for her master.

She was trying to keep them apart.

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes with a firmer resolve.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

Not a chance.

Finally out of her thoughts, she finished the story with Varian.

"...That..wasn't what I was expecting.",he paused.

She smiled warmly.

"...Me neither. Life is full of surprises."

She rustled through her satchel, pulling out the Demanitus scroll.

"Speaking of surprises," she rolled the paper out in front of him, "can you make heads or tails of anything of this?"

He scrunched his nose, taking the scroll in his hands and studying it.

He squinted.

"I'll do my best with it. I won't let you down.",he smiled,"Don't worry, Rapunzel, we'll find Flynn now that I'm on your side."

Her heart was lighter with his endearing grin.

Varian wanted to prove himself, and he seemed happier, so things were going in the right direction.

She stared up at the sky above them.

He was looking at the same sky that she was.

She wondered what Eugene thought of the clouds and colors of the blue oasis.

She wondered what he normally thought about when all alone.

She hoped it was regret, only so that he'd return and be safe with them.

The ghost had made it seem like he was constantly thinking of her, and she wasn't sure if she could believe that was true.

Cassandra halted the group, Fidella rearing loudly.

Max dove out of the bushes, his scouting ahead having proven eventful.

He cleared away a large group of bushes with his hoof and foreleg.

Sure enough, black rocks littered the scene.

"Nice work, Max.", Cassandra hopped off her horse and pat his snout before turning to the rest of them,"Let's be careful guys."

Lance groaned about his feet being tired, and everyone but Cass had to agree with him.

They'd been walking for almost six hours by now, and Rapunzel personally felt the pain creeping into the balls of her feet.

She wasn't one to whine, so she kept her mouth shut about it.

Barefoot across the countryside wasn't as fun in the more mountainous parts of the continent.

Honestly, it was only now that she really felt wear on her feet.

Before they'd crashed the caravan, she'd never had to walk for very long at all.

She liked the feeling of nature and physically connecting to the earth, but six hours was too much.

She longed for her fluffy snow boots.

At least those had a soft interior and didn't rub her ankles raw like all her princess shoes did.

In her musing she was suddenly struck with a shock.

"... _Blood_..?",her voice was smaller than it had ever been before.

Varian looked away from the battle scene, exercising his breaths to not faint.

She remembered that he was never good with blood around.

Cass glared at the ground, moving closer to push Rapunzel into her perimeter.

Lance winced, also moving beside Cassandra.

Rapunzel knit her brow.

"...Do you think he....he...."

She swallowed hard.

"Can't say for sure. Though we might as well set up camp here for the trek tomorrow."

She put her hand around Rapunzel's.

"Whatever happened here, we'll figure it out. Right, Raps?"

Rapunzel nodded, but her smile didn't meet the dread in her eyes.


	18. Chapter 18

Eugene threw out his hands, his focus trained on the ground below him.

He took a deep breath, exhaling in a slow whisper.

He raised his hands up in a fast blur, clawing through nothing but air.

Pillars burst from the soil around him, but shot in opposite directions.

He pouted, blowing out air.

_Ugh._

"...Hey, Sparkles?"

She appeared beside him, moving into her typical lecturing position.

That of course meant being posed over him so she could turn up her nose at whatever remarks made her upset.

He stepped over to the poorly formed rock pillar, pressing his fingers to their glassy exterior.

"...The Moonstone only works when my heart is racing, right?", he frowned at his appearance reflected off its sheen.

She froze, eyes wide.

She blinked slowly and dramatically.

"..My, my...What got you to that conclusion?", she tilted her head at him.

He swooped his hair back, trying to fix it.

"...It works whenever my heart starts pounding. Strong emotions? My heart starts pounding. I'm in danger? The Moonstone works, again. I'm ecstatically happy? The rocks show up.", he turned back to her.

His eyes were narrower.

"So until I have the scroll, this'll have to do."

He panted, clenching his fist as he tried to destroy the rock.

After his breath started to turn ragged, the rock formation was bolder and to a greater effect, offering him a tiny mountain range of work as a result.

Tiredness hit him hard, aching like a blow to the stomach.

He steadied himself against one of the spires.

"...But...the scroll.....", he started to speak again,"...will make this easier for me?.."

The girl nodded, twirling over to him.

"And, so much more, your majesty. You lack the finesse a wielder of the Moonstone should possess. Your creations are far too reckless and cluttered to be suitable defense or attacks at all."

His frown deepened.

She always had to have that cutting tone with him.

"....You maybe could've been a little softer on the blow, Sparkles. I've been working myself to death over this! It's not as easy as it looks...",he rolled his eyes.

She sighed, grabbing him by the jaw and shaking his head like an overly doting mother.

"You can stop whining about it. There are much greater forces at play than you could possibly imagine. The fates have decided on murdering Princess Rapunzel, yet you sit here and whine..whine..whine..", she moved his head at each mention of the latter word to make him feel childish,"...And here I thought you actually loved her. His majesty is so against ever listening to me that he's rooting for her death. Are you not?"

He paled, tentatively chewing his lip.

"...I'm trying my best..", he halfheartedly dismissed her, his chest weighing heavily now.

"Well, your best isn't good enough. You never do anything I say, even though I was _literally created_ to help you. It's my purpose. All of my orders are soft on your ears. You always complain or scorn me, yet the only thing I've ever done is help you in your efforts.", the girl slumped her shoulders, clearly disappointed, "You dismiss me so easily, like you don't really care about your destiny after all. Do you?"

He winced at her words.

"I do care, of course I do! But this...I mean, you don't always have my interests in mind! You're so violent...and domineering...!",Eugene pushed his hair back further,"....I just don't want to hurt people! I never have!"

She pouted, mocking his earlier expression.

It was certainly strange how childlike she was for being some sort of sage for him.

"Defending yourself is hardly violent, your majesty."

He scoffed, pointing at her, "Don't twist my words like that! You know what I meant!"

She frowned, releasing him from her grip and floating away.

The girl posted herself upon one of the rocks, looking down at him from above.

" _Don't twist my motivations._ Honestly..thinking I'm _thrilled_ at making all these tough choices for you...thinking I'm _violent_. Perhaps I'm not wanted here. Perhaps his majesty would be better off without a pest like me. I should be leaving."

He reached for her without a second thought.

"...Wait!...Please don't go. I'm sorry, I just..", he held himself inwardly,"...I'm overreacting. I keep pushing myself for this to work and I feel like...like I'm worse for it. I'm not feeling like myself at all."

He rubbed his tense shoulders,"...You were right before. I'm not made for this. My emotions are too dull unless I'm wallowing in my own self pity. I've nearly gotten myself killed more times than I can count. I can't stop thinking about Rapunzel, or how much I want to go home..."

Eugene sighed, looking away from her.

"...I'm no good at this, but that won't stop me. I'm doing this for her and for Corona, and there's nothing that can keep me from my destiny. No matter how horrible or thankless that destiny is, I can't stand by and let her kill herself."

The girl turned to him, crossing her arms.

Eugene held out his hand for her to shake.

"Please don't go. I need you to tell me what's going on. I need you to keep me accountable. Please...",he looked softly at her,"...I'll listen to you more. I promise."

She smiled, holding his hand and moving to embrace him instead, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.

His shoulders settled with relief.

Losing his only guide was something he didn't want to risk.

She pulled off of him and tipped his chin.

"Now that that's settled, we must move on to thinking about the boy. After his capture, you might want to create a stronghold to keep him in. Somewhere high up to survey the land.....perhaps that mountain?"

She gestured high above them to the ranges they'd left behind.

"That should be no problem for you, once you've mastered the Moonstone's power. Then you'll be free to run for all eternity.", she stopped herself, giggling, "Just kidding! You won't live for an eternity of course. And I'm sure the Sundrop will stop chasing you at some point. Doesn't that sound nice? Partially, at least?"

He frowned, but that didn't seem to faze her.

...Doing whatever she said?

He wanted to master the stone's power, but...

Even if he needed this girl, he didn't want to blindly follow her.

But he still needed to listen somewhat, or she was going to leave him.....somehow.

Was she bluffing?

He resigned himself to accept some of her advice if the moment arose, but that was highly negotiable.

If she had another bad idea he wasn't going for it.

She was certainly hard to read.

Sometimes she was cutting and annoying, and sometimes she was supportive and sweet.

She'd told him earlier that they were close to Rapunzel, so hopefully this would all be easier once he had the scroll.

After all, his powers would be working.

He wouldn't have to put himself into an emotional state, whenever he wanted to use it.

....But that mindset he'd been forcing himself into was weighing heavily on him.

He sighed, not answering her.

Things would be better once he met up with Stalyan.

Then he could at least act like himself.

This girl never appeared around Stalyan either.

Dread coiled in his stomach at the thought of the next morning.

Getting Varian meant...seeing all of them again.

The people he'd betrayed.

His friends.

He shook his head.

It would be fine, he was good at running.

He'd just outrun them.

The next step was right in front of him, and once he had total control of the rocks, Corona would be safe.

She'd have no reason to follow him any longer.

He propped up against one of the pillars, taking a moment to compose himself better.

He lurched, the rock slipping from behind him.

Eugene backed away, turning to stare at the folding rock trail leading here.

They were...bending...?

If the rocks were doing this...that meant...

".... _She's..here_...", he swallowed, chest tight.

No need to be nervous.

He glanced back at the girl, finding her closer beside him than before, a wicked smile on her lips.

She grinned back at him.

"Your destiny awaits, milord."

He lightly felt around the slight concave the stone had carved into his chest.

His destiny....

...the next step.


	19. Chapter 19

Campfires were a small pleasure to the Lost Princess.

Rapunzel adored them.

Campfires were warm and cozy, and usually surrounded by friends.

Their light bathed everything in such a pretty glow, full of oranges and firm yellows.

After a relatively 'un-amazing' day, it was beside a campfire that she could finally find peace.

The blood that had sprinkled the grass had frightened her deeply.

The cluster of black spears and terrifying pillars....

It was certainly an unsettling search, as everyone feared the worst had happened, whatever awful thought in their mind that could be.

The small scrap of cloth they'd found pinned to a tree looked like Adira's, but they couldn't be sure.

No one really wanted to be sure, considering the crimson tainting the ground.

Lance had been particularly worried about it.

Varian, on the other hand, was completely out of the loop.

He barely knew who Adira was, and he'd only just learned what had happened with Eugene and the Moonstone.

During everyone's fretting over the situation, he'd had to stand idly by, worrying and frazzled over what everyone was so worked up about.

Now that everyone was settling down from searching, a campfire could be her respite.

She sat close beside Cass, chewing the cooked scratchy surface of her deer meat.

Her lady crossed gazes with her, silently picking at her own meal.

Rapunzel leaned back against the grooves of the log, letting the odd flavor sit in her mouth.

"...Hey, Cass?"

Her friend pursed her lips in recognition.

Rapunzel frowned,"...Can we talk?"

Cass nodded.

The princess let out a deep breath.

"Before Varian kidnapped me...I...I had a weird dream again. But...it was different."

Cass raised an eyebrow.

"...Different how?", she asked.

Rapunzel put aside her dinner to comb through loose hair once more, settling her nerves with every stroke.

"....I was...awake. Or..at least..I felt like it. I'm not sure.", she scrunched her nose,"...But I know what I saw was real. It was her..That girl you warned me about."

Cass met her with wide eyes, a pale green that sharpened into cautious daggers.

Rapunzel continued.

"She kept talking about her 'master'...and how they needed to keep me from the Moonstone. Keeping me away is giving them power...like...leading to some sort of evil plan we don't even know about..something to destroy Corona."

She chewed her knuckle, pressing down with her slight overbite.

"...I think she means Zhan Tiri. That's who she's working for. That's what we're up against."

Her emerald eyes were tender for a moment as she looked at the heart of the fire.

Her brow narrowed defiantly.

"...She's using him for something bad. She tried to hurt him."

Cass frowned, "...You think that bad thing might be him toppling our kingdom?"

The rocks were still out of control right now, and had likely encroached even further into Corona at this point.

Rapunzel shook her head, her fingers trailing down to clench at her skirt.

"No. She tried to hurt him in my dream. She wanted me to watch."

She fought off the tremble of her fingers.

"I think she wants to use him for something horrible. Something painful."

Why did she have to get choked up just now?

Cass placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her with the fondness of the gesture.

"...So have you thought about what you're going to say to him, when you see him?", her knight rubbed her shoulder.

Rapunzel slicked back her hair, letting out a huff in frustration.

She didn't know what to say.

What could she say?

He was stubborn, it wasn't like he was going to give in, especially considering his conviction to protect her.

Telling him that she loved him wasn't going to work.

Telling him that they could figure this out together wouldn't work; he didn't trust her, or at the very least, he didn't want to risk hurting her.

What could she possibly say to him?

That she was terrified for him?

That she missed him?

That she wanted to hold his waist and stare up at his eyes?

She gripped her blonde locks.

None of that would work.

He wouldn't listen.

It was unsettling to her.

Someone that was so kind and devoted to being patient with her and listening to her problems.....

...Someone who could see what she needed without a word...

...That person was now an immovable object.

Living within the tower had gotten her used to being ignored.

Living in the castle had mostly done the same.

....But Eugene....

...Eugene never ignored her.

Not until now.

Rapunzel sighed,"...I'm...working on that. But right now I think we should focus on finding him and stopping whatever that girl or Zhan Tiri has planned for us. She said she wanted to keep the Moonstone and Sundrop apart, so whatever my destiny with the Moonstone is, it's something she's afraid of."

A smile crept its way onto her face with relief.

"..I've actually asked Varian to start deciphering the Demanitus scroll for us, considering he's the only one of us who can actually read it. He's been at it all afternoon.",she twirled a strand of her hair,"...We're lucky that we ran into him when we did. We could all be off in way worse places."

Pascal crawled up her arm from his resting corner of the log, letting out a pleased grumble as she continued.

"I'm lucky my friends are such capable people."

Cass seemed to melt at her words, a caring look caressing her features.

"Thank you, Raps.", her eyes were soft despite the teasing tone that progressed, "We couldn't ask for a better princess...or best friend for that matter....There, I said it."

Rapunzel giggled, snuggling into her friend.

"Awwww~, Cass-",she hugged her tightly.

The fire felt soothing against the cool night air.

It's glow coated them in warm yellow hues.

She'd try to stay positive for now.

Eugene was just something she'd have to be ready to face eventually.

The group was shaken as Maximus shrieked a loud whinny.

Cassandra drew her sword.

Rapunzel clutched Cass tightly to keep her from standing.

"No, Cass! Please don't do this! Let's just talk to him! It might not even be Eugene, just please-!"

A tower of black rocks burst above the treeline.

Rapunzel paled.

The two raced to around the center of the commotion, chests pounding, a few feet behind the source of it all.

Lance was shouting something, almost caught off guard by how quickly the girls had arrived.

...and there he was.

Eugene.

He had his hand outward, as if to warn them to keep their distance.

His eyes were sharp and calculating.

That aura of cunning and intimidation he possessed fell the moment he saw her.

His eyes darted away from her, almost as if he had to tear them away.

"...Lance, I promise you, this is for your own good. Where is Varian?",he spoke carefully.

Lance furrowed his brow.

"For my own good? Have you been thinking about your own good lately?? You look like hell, buddy!"

Eugene looked him dead in the eyes, sweat on his brow.

"I know how I look. But, Lance...please. You don't even like the kid anyways! I'll only borrow him for a second."

His voice seemed to try holding its serious tone, but his eyes shifted, showing glints of his true personality.

Something about him showed how much he didn't believe himself saying that.

Lance groaned, annoyed with him,"Eugene! You can't just take a kid! I'm not gonna give you him either, unless you fess up to whatever the hell you're doing!"

He sighed, slicking his hand over the back of his head.

"I mean, damn, man! You run off and drag us after you into who-knows-where with no caravan--let me tell you that--and when I catch you in the act, you beg me to let you 'borrow' Varian?? You're borrowing a person, and still then you won't even tell me what's going on with you??",he glared,"..I'm tired of you keeping me in the dark about everything going on in your life now! We're friends! Or at least we're supposed to be! But you don't trust me! You can't even look at me! You can drop this whole 'destiny' thing, cause it's not doing you any favors!"

Eugene's frown softened for a moment.

He glanced to his right shoulder before looking back to him.

He shook his head slightly.

"Lance, you wouldn't understand, but I can't tell you. I wish I could, but I just can't."

Cass stepped forward, blade in hand.

"What's stopping you?",she glowered.

Eugene stepped back slightly.

"...I can't tell you either.",he added, seeming uncomfortable with his words.

Cass scoffed, jerking her shoulder towards Rapunzel.

"Can't you tell her? She's right here, ya know. You wouldn't want to pull anything in front of your girlfriend, would you?", she looked down at him, sticking up her nose,"...So spill it. I don't have all day, Fitzherbert."

He backed up further, hand creeping over his shoulder by his blade, his eyes trained on her movements and her own sword.

Cass laughed,"Oh, please. You honestly want to fight me?? I'd rip you to shreds."

Rapunzel felt her throat close.

"Cass, no!! You promised!-",she clapped a hand over her mouth upon seeing her friend's expression turn worried as Cass glanced back at her.

Eugene put his hand away from his sword, less tense.

"...You're bluffing.",he paused with restrained relief.

Cass bit her lip, holding back a swear.

Rapunzel felt her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

She ruined whatever Cass was planning.

_Ohh...she was a horrible friend...._

Eugene took a slow breath before dashing and diving between Cass and Lance, the same leap he'd tried at the Dark Kingdom.

"Oh no you don't!", Lance grabbed his leg, halting the maneuver entirely and snatching him out of the air.

"Tie him up, Raps, then grab the Moonstone!", Cass ordered, brandishing her sword at Eugene.

Rapunzel nodded, hurrying over to them as she began to undo her braid.

Eugene grimaced and struggled against Lance's grip.

His head jerked to the left for a moment as he glared at nothing.

"I am not doing that!",he reprimanded what seemed to be just the air beside him.

The three others exchanged glances.

Cass held on her contact with Rapunzel.

Rapunzel knew exactly what she was thinking.

That girl.

Eugene made a sour face, as if he'd been spoken to poorly, seemingly regretful of something.

He sighed and turned to Rapunzel.

"Blondie-", he corrected himself,"-Rapunzel, I need you to get everyone out of here and head back to Corona...Or else."

He delivered the threat as if he was choking it out, the words being visceral like bile pouring out of his mouth.

Rapunzel shook her head, stepping closer, hair at the ready.

"Eugene, I need to reach my destiny. Nothing in the world will ever stop me...from chasing my dreams-", she looked directly at him, her eyes soft,"-or finding my destiny. These rocks are leading me, Eugene, I have to find my purpose. I don't care about the risks, and I want you to be safe, right beside me. Don't you miss all of us? I miss you."

Eugene took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes.

" _Wither.. And decay...._

_....end this destiny..._ ", his hair swirled into a flowing pool of black, the grass wilting around him into a sea of gray.

Rapunzel froze, her stomach dropping.

She threw her hair around Lance, tearing him from Eugene.

The force of her hair had thrown him on top of her, knocking them both into a pile on the ground.

Cass stared between the three, unsure of if she should keep guarding Rapunzel or threatening Eugene.

Eugene stood to his feet, staring down at the group with pure charcoal eyes.

"Eugene, stop!!", Rapunzel begged him, trying to keep Lance behind her.

His build prevented that from happening smoothly, so she clung to him instead, hoping her tiny frame could be some kind of buffer between him and the incantation.

" _...Break these earthly chains..._

_....and set the spirit free._

_Wither...And decay......_ ", he repeated the spell, Cass faltering her form as Lance wilted against Rapunzel's grip.

Rapunzel pleaded with him again, her eyes watering.

She was terrified that Cass would touch him.

She was terrified to watch her burn.

She had to think of something to break the spell with.

Her hair??

Her eyes darted down to it, watching her blonde locks swirl and begin to rise off the ground, curling into the shape of a blossom around her.

Oh no.

"Cass!!", she shouted, throwing her hand out.

The shield had almost fully formed around her.

She didn't want to leave Cass outside.

Cassandra glared at Eugene, grimacing as she looked to Rapunzel.

He stood limply there before them, in that same trance-like state Rapunzel had been lost in.

Cassandra ran back into camp, the shield quickly closing without her inside it.

Rapunzel screamed.

No, no, no, no, no.........

"Cass..!...Cass!!", she whined.

She could feel the wear of the incantation against her hair, forcing the shield to stay up.

Lance panicked for a moment, having no clue why she'd just surrounded him in a ball of hair.

His demeanor changed as he noticed her whimpering.

She slumped against the floor, dumbstruck.

Her brow knit tightly and her mouth hung open.

She gently reached out at the wall around her, mouthing Cass's name.

Her heart sank.

She held her head in her hands, curling up into her knees.

"...Uh..Princess.."

She looked back at him, still frowning.

"..This..hair thing...", he started, "..It's gonna keep that stuff out, right?.."

She nodded, her voice soft,"...Yeah.."

Her green eyes stared sadly at the floor.

"...It keeps everything out.", she slouched.

Lance paused, watching her carefully.

"...Thanks. For doing that.", he spoke a bit awkwardly.

She smiled slightly, wiping her eyes with her palm.

"..You're welcome."

He frowned, unsure of what to do in the current atmosphere.

Lance hesitantly pat her back in an attempt to be comforting, though his touch was considerably detached.

Despite that, Rapunzel felt her spirits raise a little.

The effort was what mattered.

"Cass is probably fine. Should I say Cass or is this a bad time..?", he slowly moved his hand away.

Rapunzel rested her head on her knees.

"It's not just Cass that I'm worried about. Max and Fidella are still out there....Varian...", she felt at her throat,"...Eugene..."

She felt at the ground, trying to stay positive about Cass and the others.

"Well...if you're so worried about that..I'm surprised you saved me.",Lance watched the glowing hair around him," I'm flattered, don't get me wrong, but..."

Rapunzel looked back at him.

"Why wouldn't I? We're friends."

Lance stared at her for a moment.

She couldn't gauge his expression.

Suddenly, her hair created a small opening, revealing the outside world.

Cass was shouting in front of Eugene, in an extended pose, brandishing what looked to be a large log from their spare firewood.

Eugene had reeled back, catching himself to not fall over as his feet planted firmly against the ground.

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she covered her mouth.

Cass had known how to break him out of the incantation, but...

....did she just club him in the face with that??

Rapunzel let out a worried squeak as her hair fell away, reaching towards him for a moment.

Was he hurt??

Eugene wiped across his mouth, glaring.

"...How many times do I have to tell you guys not to go for the face?!"

He threw out his hand, a group of black rocks pinning Cass to a nearby tree.

"Cass!!-", Rapunzel let out a yelp as the same happened to her and Lance.

Cassandra growled, struggling to break free.

She was dangling too high to grip her feet onto anything.

"Eugene, you're gonna regret this!!", she snapped.

He composed himself, fatigue and guilt on his brow.

"Eugene, please!! Don't do this!", Rapunzel shouted at him.

He stared back at her, holding her gaze for as long as he could manage.

Eugene broke contact, as if someone had just spoken to him.

He shook his head and hurried off.

"Eugene!!!", she cried.

He was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

Eugene opened the flaps of the small tent, his shoulders tense.

Varian was here after all.

He was crouched over a bunch of papers, scribbling something away in a notebook.

The scroll was in front of him.

Varian wiped his forehead, slipping up his goggles.

"Princess! You're never gonna believe what I found...", his voice trailed off as he turned to him, "...out..."

Eugene smiled, locking eye contact with him.

"..Oh..don't mind me. You can finish."

Varian sweat under his gaze, dumbstruck.

Eugene was pretty used to everyone finding him freaky looking by now, even if he didn't like it.

"...You....what _happened_ to you...?", Varian gawked.

Eugene chuckled," No need to be scared, kid, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to borrow you for a minute. Is that alright?"

Varian panted, his eyes wild.

"....You...you have this...giant...nasty...bruise...on your face...",he swallowed.

Eugene rubbed at it, rolling his eyes," Yeah, the dragon lady wasn't too happy to see me."

He stepped closer,"...But I was actually wanting you to help me with something. Could you hand that scroll over and maybe talk it through a little? I'm really interested."

Varian held his chest, tightly gripping the back of his work bench.

Eugene sighed,"Kid, stop breathing so hard, you're gonna freak yourself out."

Varian swallowed, his breaths still quick and shallow.

His eyes seemed horrifyingly glued to his bruises.

"...Flynn....you....and the Moonstone...",he gulped,"...That _thing_...it's-!"

Eugene frowned,"-pure evil, yes, yes, I know. Believe me, this thing has _ruined_ my life."

He reached behind himself, smiling at Varian.

"But enough about me. How would _you_ like to save Corona?", he smirked," It's a once in a lifetime _opportunity~..._ "

Varian trembled, feeling around at his supplies for some sort of defense.

Eugene narrowed his eyes," Oh, _come_ on! I'm not that scary! It's not like I _asked_ to look like this!"

The girl groaned, appearing beside his shoulder.

"You don't have time for this. You must escape before Rapunzel breaks free."

Eugene nodded, turning back to Varian.

"You have to tell me how to control the rocks. Just hand the translated scroll over to me. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Varian sweat,"...What did you do to them out there...??...To Cass..?...To Rapunzel?"

Eugene scoffed, pulling out his sword,"Hurry up now, Varian."

Varian scrambled back onto his bench, knocking away vials and papers.

"You..y-you can't kill me...I haven't written out the Moonstone incantation yet..",he stuttered,"...Y-you wouldn't kill anyone anyways...right..??...You're Flynn Rider..."

Eugene frowned.

He was only trying to scare him into complying.

The time limit was still hanging in his mind.

He hated to threaten Varian like this, considering how young and sweet he was coming off.

Had he been reformed in prison?

No, that was unlikely, knowing how the dungeon worked.

It must have been her then.

Rapunzel doing what she did best.

Eugene focused back to the task at hand.

He seriously hadn't written it out yet??

A groan escaped his lips.

That's what he'd been fearing.

It'd be so much easier to run away with a scroll, but part of him knew he'd have to run away with Varian.

The Moonstone had told him so earlier.

"Break his consciousness and run off with him. You can heal him later.",she whispered.

Eugene shook his head.

She grit her teeth,"Are you seriously ignoring my advice? After how smoothly everything has been going tonight??"

He gestured back to Varian.

"Keep your voice down!",he scolded in a hushed whisper,"I'm not gonna hurt him, he's just a kid!"

Varian kept breathing hard, his eyes now wider and confused.

"...See what you did?? Now he thinks I'm gonna kill him.",he rolled his eyes,"Great job, Sparkles, you're really helping."

He glanced at Varian again.

"...Varian, listen, I'm a pretty rational person. I'm only gonna ask one more time, and I _really_ want you to consider all the good things that can come from this. There are actually so many positives...I can't even _think_ of a negative consequence for doing this.",he put the sword away, smiling.

Handling things as himself rather than using empty threats seemed like his best option, considering he didn't want to hurt the kid.

"One, looking out for numero uno here, you will totally get pardoned and praised for not only _saving_ the princess of Corona, but stopping the _entire_ rock invasion! Doesn't that sound awesome or what?", he grinned,"Two, you get to uncover the secrets of the rocks, for _me!_ Your best buddy, Flynn Rider! And I will be _so very impressed!_ Finally, your name goes down in history as the greatest mind that ever lived! Yada, yada, yada, you know the rest. _Anyways_ , doesn't that all sound great??"

Varian bit his lip.

"...Rapunzel said that the Moonstone was _her_ destiny...",he stated.

Eugene slicked back his hair, clicking his tongue as he faked a laugh.

"Oh, Varian...you just reminded me of the most important part!",he held out his hands,"You'll never believe this, but there's a _really high_ probability that Rapunzel will die if she touches this thing, and I _really_ don't want that to happen. You'd understand, you're a smart guy. No one wants Rapunzel to die."

Varian slightly relaxed against the bench, still clearly cautious.

"...I...I need a moment to process all of this.", he mumbled.

Eugene slouched a bit,"That's fine! But I'd really appreciate it if you could hurry it up a tiny bit. Time is _entirely_ of the essence right now."

Varian stared at the scroll, then back to Eugene.

He took a deep breath, clenching his fists.

"...I can't go with you. I have to stay here and finish working on the incantation for Rapunzel."

Eugene sighed,"...I was afraid you'd say that."

He whipped out his hunting net, hurling it over Varian like his father had done to him.

Luckily the ropes were holding, but they wouldn't be for long, considering all of Varian's squirming.

Eugene grabbed the cluster of papers and the scroll off of the bench, whistling for his horse to race by.

Domino charged in, skidding to a halt as he laid Varian over her side.

"...Flynn..!-"

Eugene ignored him.

It felt better that way.

Eugene slapped the horse's side, sending her charging into the mountains up ahead.

He'd catch up with her in a moment.

First, he needed to release his friends.

His intention had been to momentarily trap them, but leaving them in a precarious position wasn't at all what he'd hoped for.

If anything happened to them, he'd hate himself for it.

As much as he didn't want to face them again, he had to make sure they were okay.

His steps were light as he hurried back to the heart of their confrontation.

Their groans and grimaces made his chest tighten.

Eugene tried to focus, slowly bringing his hands back out again.

Something hit the ground nearby him, letting out a hushed scream.

He stopped receding the rocks, eyes wide in panic.

Cass had torn herself from the tree where she was pinned, something he had hoped none of them were reckless enough to do because of the height he'd kept them at.

She clutched her ankle for a moment, grimacing.

It felt inhuman how quickly he ran to her side.

Cass bit her lip to stop her whining, jerking back to slug him in the face.

Eugene caught her at the follow up punch, gripping her burnt hand especially.

It hurt to do that, but he had to keep her from grabbing the stone, even if forcing this pain on her made him feel like a monster.

Cassandra gasped, completely debilitated by her injury being crushed.

"Stop fighting me!", he shot her a less intimidating glare than he'd intended.

"Make me!", she hissed,"...Don't you have any guts at all..??"

She clenched her teeth to stop another whimper from escaping her mouth.

He narrowed his eyes at her,"Just stop..squirming!..I'm sorry about this!"

She kicked him hard in the side.

He crushed her hand tighter, hearing a gross crunch of charred skin fall away.

Cass shrieked, unable to contain herself.

She started hyperventilating, sending both of them into nervous tremors.

"Cass..! Cass...!!..I'm so sorry! I didn't think I'd...",he swallowed hard,"..I'm just trying to help you! Let me help you... _please!_ "

She struggled against him, clearly not believing it.

How could she?

He knew how this looked to her.

He'd hurt her three times now.

He closed his eyes, his brow tense.

" _Heal-what-has-been-hurt-change-the-fate's-design-_ ",he rattled off, clutching her tightly as the magic poured out of him.

Cassandra gawked at him in confusion before eyeing his hair and herself.

Eugene continued the healing incantation, feeling himself grow weaker by the second.

Why'd this spell have to take so much out of him?

His hands hung on her for a moment after the spell was done.

She started to say something, that being his cue to run.

He forced a platform from the ground to shoot off of, grabbing onto Domino as she darted past the area.

In no time at all, he was off again, shrouded by the darkness.

The scroll was finally in his hands.

His destiny was finally here.


	21. Chapter 21

Cass grimaced, stunned as she stood up to pursue him.

Her leg felt fine.

Shocked, she slowly took off her right gauntlet.

Cass covered her mouth.

It was new again, as if nothing had ever harmed it.

"Raps! Rapunzel!!", she shouted, racing further back into camp.

Cass skidded to a halt in front of the tree.

Maximus and Fidella were pulling at the princess by her hair.

They seemed to be prying her free, at least to the best of their abilities.

Rapunzel landed on Max, tired and out of breath.

She'd been struggling to break free for a while now and she didn't have the best constitution for this sort of thing.

She reached up to help Lance free himself from the slightly receding rock spires.

Cass quickly met the princess with a firm embrace, making her squeak.

"Cass!! What is it?? Did Eugene-"

Rapunzel's tongue stilled, her eyes wide with green wonder at Cass's exposed hand.

She squeezed her tightly, smiling and tearful with relief.

"Your hand...! It..."

Rapunzel tore the thought away from herself, darting past her with Lance at her side.

Cassandra quickly caught onto their train of thought.

"He's gone! He took Varian and rode off on horseback!", she blurted.

Rapunzel grit her teeth, trying to keep herself focused.

"He's not the only one on horseback! Maximus! You take Cass and I while Lance rides on Fidella! Let's get moving!!",she commanded, sweat on her brow.

Cassandra was taken aback by her initiative.

Lance frowned, "We're ditching our supplies?"

Rapunzel leapt onto the white horse, fire in her eyes.

"We can come back for them! We are not stopping a single moment while he's right in front of us!! We might not have another chance!!"

The others quickly joined her, Cass drawing her blade to cut down any brush that blocked their way.

"Let's go, Max!! Hurry!!", the blonde snapped his reins, arching forward.

He reared up, charging into the dark forest ahead, Fidella hot at his heels.

Cassandra quickly slashed away a thin branch, the foliage daring to threaten her princess's face.

She tightened her grip against the sword handle.

It felt strange to be able to fully grasp the handle again, unafraid of any pain shooting up her wrists and forearm.

She was whole again.

She was new.

She looked to Rapunzel, watching her glare into the distance with a great purpose about her entire being.

Her eyes drifted towards her hand again.

"Raps, he did this. He healed my hand with this...song he was singing."

Rapunzel tensed, her previous thought resurfacing.

"He has my healing powers...",her teeth pressed against her bottom lip,"...Why does he have my healing powers...?"

Cassandra frowned,"...Maybe the Moonstone is reacting to you being near it? Maybe it sensed your healing on him?"

Rapunzel furrowed her brow.

"What if the Moonstone took my power from me when I touched the black rocks...like it absorbed it from me?", she gripped the reins tighter, "I don't know why, but maybe it was holding that power for me until I grabbed the Moonstone. But Eugene has it now, so he has my power. Does that make sense?"

Cassandra sliced away another branch, "I thought your healing powers left before that... When your hair was cut."

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes.

Her teeth teased her lower lip, her countenance tentative.

"I hadn't thought much about this before...but...", she looked back at her friend.

"I saved Eugene without my hair. I healed him with magic. If _I'm_ the Sundrop, then the magic has always been inside of me, not just my hair. I could heal until my hair came back, I think. I just...never tried.", her eyes looked brighter than ever before,"There's something keeping me from knowing everything about myself...about my powers.."

She turned back to face the moonlight.

"There must be more to the Sundrop. I need the scroll. I need the Moonstone to find out."

Cassandra held her breath.

No matter what happened, she'd help Rapunzel find her destiny.


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you finished yet?",Eugene checked over his shoulder again.

He'd prowled around the perimeter for who knows how many times by now, completely on edge about Rapunzel's impending arrival.

Varian frowned,"...Just a second. You know this would be easier if I had hands."

Eugene rolled his eyes.

Varian may have been off the horse and working on the ground, but he was still restrained by the hunting net, at least to a great extent.

The girl leaned close beside her host's ear.

"Once you learn the incantation, you must wait for Rapunzel to arrive. She is destined to find you here easily to ambush you. You must create a stronghold to have the upper hand. Lure her in and trap her inside with the boy."

Eugene scoffed,"... _Trap her??_ Why would I want to do that?"

She sighed, "I mean momentarily. Goodness, you never let me finish. I mean that you need to show her that you have total mastery over the rocks. Creating an intricate palace would certainly be a raw display of power and prowess on your part. Not only would you give her a reason to stop pursuing us, you could also deliver the boy back into her care.”

Eugene narrowed his brow.

That made sense, even if he didn't want to wait around for her, or keep Varian any longer than he had to.

Despite this, his heart knew the truth.

Rapunzel would never stop searching for him.

Her tenacity was like something he'd never seen before.

It was threatening.

He needed to shake her or she'd waste her life chasing after him.

Every moment he became more aware of how much he was hurting her, something he'd sworn to never do.

Cassandra would make her go home eventually, right?

He nearly sighed at his own lie.

Rapunzel shut down the entire kingdom to look for a frog.

What would she do for his disappearance?

Would he destroy Corona?

He dashed the thought away, not bothering to entertain it any longer.

Of course he wasn't going to destroy Corona.

Rapunzel wasn't stupid.

In fact, she was brilliant.

She'd understand the importance of her kingdom duties coming first.

Eventually she'd be cooped up in the castle again, chained to her responsibilities.

He felt a knot rise in his throat.

Was he trapping her?

If she never gave up on him, his absence would constantly weigh on her, urging her to find her friend no matter what.

He didn't want that for her.

He wanted her to run wherever she wanted to....to sail the seas and embark on never-ending adventures...

He wanted her to be free.

A heavy cloud loomed over his worries.

Neither of them were free.

He nearly grimaced.

That wasn't fair.

She deserved to be free.

The only reason he did this was to stop her life from ending.

The Moonstone wasn't something he wanted, he only chose it to protect her light.

He wished he could destroy the damn thing overnight, but that was impossible.

Fate was never kind to him, and it seemed to have a mean streak going.

His eyes darted over to Varian.

The young alchemist sighed, trying to reach for some chalk through the net.

Eugene decided it was harmless to take the net off.

Varian scribbled down the final words to the incantation, handing the scroll over with tired eyes.

"There. Now can you let me go already? I need to keep studying that."

Eugene clicked his tongue, chiding him.

"Sorry kid, but you heard her. You have to stay here until Rapunzel comes and gets you. Not my choice, _believe_ me.", he reached down and picked up the paper to read.

Varian wrinkled his brow,voice tensed,"...Flynn..I have no idea what you're talking about...or... _who_ you're talking to for that matter. There's no one here but us. You keep...talking to yourself. It's...concerning."

Eugene paused.

"...I'm sorry....what?"

He looked at the girl beside his shoulder.

He turned back to Varian.

"...Can you not....see..her?"

Varian shook his head.

Eugene frowned, staring at his hands for a moment.

"...Flynn...Please think about what you're doing. You're going to lose control if you keep going!", Varian tried to counsel him," Hurting Rapunzel? Hurting Cass and Lance? That's not the real you. Flynn Rider would never do that-"

The girl laughed snidely, pulling her fan in front of her face.

"Ha! He hasn't the slightest idea of what's going on at all! Trying to tell you you're wrong...Pfft. It's funny, really.", she snickered,"With all that studying he's been up to, I can't believe he hasn't realized that the Moonstone spirit only appears to the stone's wielder. Why else would I be called the _Moonstone_ spirit?"

Eugene clenched his fists, at her words.

He wasn't a bad person.

He was doing some harmful things, yes, but he wasn't a _bad_ person.

Everything he was doing came from a place of love.

His birthright, unfortunately, was loaded with horrible consequences.

He clenched his fists tighter.

No.

Even if Varian didn't know what was going on, he was right about part of it.

He was losing control.

He had to force himself to wallow in the worst parts of his personality to control the rocks before.

He was aware of how taxing it had become on himself as a person.

He was such a self secure person before.

Now everything he did was weighed down by this suffocating loss of joy in his life.

Forcing himself to pine bitterly over Rapunzel had made him miss her even more.

He wanted something to hold.

Something soft and warm with silky hair...

But that wasn't normal.

It felt unnerving to him how much he'd begun to drown in his loneliness.

Flynn Rider could be alone.

But Eugene couldn't.

And whoever he was now certainly struggled with it.

He felt like the spirit was constantly pressuring him, so that wasn't really company, even if he settled for it.

He wanted a friend to talk to.

Someone that wasn't his own head.

He wanted to be himself again.

Everything he was doing was his own fault.

He accepted complete responsibility for it, even if he hated what he was doing.

This was just another sacrifice he had to make.

Rapunzel didn't deserve to die.

She'd only been allowed to live for two years now.

He'd already had his time enough.

Even if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, her safety came first.

Now that was starting to weigh on him further.

Was he trapping her?

....Yes.

Something he'd died trying to stop from happening before.

But was it the right thing to do?

He narrowed his eyes.

He wasn't like Gothel.

Hurting Rapunzel wasn't for the sake of his own selfish desires.

He just wanted her to live.

What was so wrong with that?

Varian tried to speak again,"...Rapunzel told me about you...about how you both met...how you fell in love..."

He bit his lip, "You love Rapunzel. You're a good person. You'd never do this Flynn. You'd never do something like this after all your adventures. I've read about you-"

Eugene cut him off, shouting.

" _Flynn Rider_ isn't _real_ , Varian!!", he snapped," Is that the one part of the story you missed?!!"

Varian paused, answering only after a moment had passed.

"...But...", his voice was soft,"...You were..."

Eugene rolled his eyes with frustration," _No, Varian._ It doesn't matter how many books you've read, or how many wanted posters you put up in your room, Flynn Rider was just a name that _I_ stole. I loved those books to death. I _wish_ I could've been like him, but my Flynn Rider was a hoax!”

Varian was stunned into silence, his brow curled in embarrassment.

Eugene unfurled the scroll in his hands, taking a deep breath to perform the incantation.

He reached out in front of himself, staring intently at a lone pillar of rock that lay in the moonlight.

_"Crescent..high above..._

_...evolving...as you go..._

_..raise what lies beneath..._

_....and let the darkness grow..."_

The Moonstone began sparking a brilliant glow, his heart pounding.

The lightning struck his skin, nipping at him as its power evolved into a greater essence within him.

He clenched his fist tightly, staring at the scroll's enchantment.

His eyes narrowed.

He would conquer it tonight.

He would save Corona.

He would give Rapunzel her future.

The future she deserved.

_"Bend it ..to my will..._

_...consume...the sunlight's...glow..._

_..rise into..the sky..._

_....and let the darkness...grow..."_

His eyes gleamed brightly in the moonlight.

He could feel it.

Some seal was being broken, ripping apart to burst forth a river of unimaginable power.

His armor seemed to suffocate him, a last ditch effort for control.

He clenched his teeth, tossing the scroll away and throwing out both his hands.

His fingers unfurled, invisible strings seeming to tie his movements directly to the rocks in front.

The formation before him threatened to erupt.

He glared intensely, his voice low in his throat, commanding the world around him.

Commanding the stone.

" _The...darkness grow..._ ",he repeated, demanding.

The rock burst high into the sky before him, a formidable jagged tower.

Suddenly it all made sense.

Everything was different.

His armor felt smooth and breathable...but this time it was his own.

He stared over his hand, furrowing his brow.

The surface of the glove receded, revealing his bare hand to him for the first time in weeks.

His skin was paler than he remembered, but it was still skin.

Real skin.

 _His_ skin.

He quickly retracted the other glove, clasping his hands together.

He drove his fingers in circles over his palms and glided them across the backs of his hands, moving up his wrists and to his forearms.

He felt at his face and the scruff on his chin.

Lacing his fingers down his jawline, he swiveled them up through his hair, enjoying every second of his senses being given back to him.

Being deprived of touch for so long was...indescribable.

..Trapped was something he could say about it.

Anxious was another.

It felt so childishly wonderful to be able to feel the textures beneath his fingertips, the sensations that cool rock had kept him from for days on end.

Part of him wanted to forgo his boots for a moment, to take in the earth beneath his toes and ground himself in reality.

But he remembered his place and caught himself before he got a bit carried away.

His pulse finally settled, something he could appreciate after days of high tension stress on end.

The effort had racked his entire being; mind, body, and soul.

But now...he was finally in control.

He could be himself again.

At least as much as he could allow himself to, of course.

This was the closest he could get to a natural mental space.

This would have to be the new normal.

He slipped the gloves back over himself, marveling at the way the armor moved with only a single thought.

He looked back at Varian.

The girl had said that he needed a stronghold, at least temporarily.

Something to show Rapunzel that he could be trusted with the Moonstone...that way she wouldn't have to worry about it ever again.

He threw out his hands as the ground below him and his captive was completely covered in a sheen of black rock.

The area ranged to be about the size of the castle's royal ballroom.

He stamped the floor beneath him, raising his fingers skyward.

Rocks burst up formidably around them, shooting high into the sky like a barricade.

The stronghold at this point was merely a fort with quite a wall to conquer.

"While you're doing excellently, your Majesty, might I suggest a bit more creativity?", the girl draped herself over his shoulder idly," What's something that would _really_ leave her in awe of your prowess with the rocks?"

He frowned for a moment.

He wasn't really an artist or an architect.

He'd really been thinking of what a good fort might have to it, some place he and Lance would camp out in if they were lucky enough in their younger years.

Inspiration struck him.

A castle.

But not just any castle, a tower.

He had only a short amount of time until they caught up with him, so building upwards was his safest bet.

It was also his most impressive bet at that.

A tall, winding, spectacular tower.

Something that would certainly catch their attention, and something that would buy him time to escape once they drew near.

He unfortunately had to wait for Rapunzel to arrive, but at least he could easily distance himself with them by partially trapping them here.

With every thought and gesture, the spires followed his command, constructing a massive tower around them.

He glanced over to Varian as he twisted the winding staircase, high into the sky above them.

The young alchemist was dumbstruck, his eyes wide in awe.

Eugene couldn't tell if his look was that of wonder or fright, the gawking seemed overall to be a mix of curiosity and dread.

He smirked.

If Varian was already impressed, then he was doing something right.

The tower reached until it eclipsed the moon from his view, draping down to fully enclose the ceiling and other walls.

He sighed, putting his hands on his hips to admire his work.

"Pretty good for a first try, huh?",he smiled at the Moonstone spirit.

She seemed absolutely delighted.

"Your Majesty...this is...", her lips curled into a demented grin, ruining the childlike face she'd been previously sporting,"... _phenomenal_. You've only had the scroll for a few minutes and this is your first creation! I sense a great power in you. Your destiny to control the rocks is expanding...I can feel it. You're more than that. You're going to save the entire continent from those wicked things! The rocks are now entirely under your command."

She scrunched her nose a bit, fluttering downward.

"...What? What is it?", he tilted his head at her.

She pulled out her fan again, covering her lips.

"I just remembered something....a bit...unfortunate. You will never be able to access the full power of the Moonstone in your current state."

He scooped up Varian under his arm, raising a platform beneath them so he wouldn't have to climb the hundreds of steps he'd just created.

"...What?? But you said the scroll would give me total power over the Moonstone. Shouldn't I have _total power_ over it?"

She sighed at his perplexed expression.

"Do you remember when we spoke about Rapunzel and the Moonstone's power? About her destiny?", she asked.

He frowned with recognition.

"You said....that she was being led by the Moonstone to take it...It’s evil and reuniting it with the Sundrop will kill her.", he narrowed his eyes further,"...Rapunzel has a part of the Moonstone's power to protect her until then. I remember now. Is that something I'd need to take?"

The girl tapped her fingers against his leg.

"That depends on what you'd want to do, my lord.", she looked up at him.

He attempted to shoo her off of him while he ascended, moving his leg without much effort behind it.

"You know, Sparkles. Now that I don't need you as much anymore, I'm gonna say it. You're _very_ touchy."

She laughed, staring devilishly up at him with a coy smile.

"That's how I tend to coddle the children I'm with. Very sorry, it's a force of habit when I want people to listen."

He rolled his eyes at her.

She had to be joking, she'd said no one else had wielded the Moonstone before him.

Unless she had some sort of 'ghost friends' she'd been dealing with.

Sparkles always kept him on edge, at least in some sort of way.

She was informative and helpful, yes.

But she was also annoying, touchy, and made very unsettling expressions.

He didn't want to be a fly entangled in her web, but he didn't have enough evidence to believe that she meant any harm to him.

"Anyways," she started," Once you reunite with your slender friend, we must be making our way towards The Great Spire. I need you both to recover some things for me there."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The Great Spire? What could you possibly need from there?", he frowned," Have I mentioned there's a giant bear monster? And less importantly, a very annoying person?"

She snickered.

"I'm trying to find alternatives to your many many problems. So no, I'm not afraid of an annoying person."

He gagged," You should be. That one'll talk your ear off. It's just gab gab gab..."

He looked down at Varian, who was staring up at him with that same tense expression.

Eugene chuckled a bit awkwardly.

"Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation. Prying ears and eyes and all. You're gonna have to get used to it while you're stuck with me. Unfortunately I can't exactly let you go just yet. Stone's orders, not me.", he sighed.

Varian gawked at him, brow curled with worry.

"He's going crazy...",he whispered under his breath," The stone is making him completely lose it..."

Eugene carried Varian to what was relatively the top of the tower, though a vast space existed between them and the ceiling.

He'd cut the net from Varian's body, as he didn't have much need of him anymore.

He'd built this tower to be nearly unscalable, with its great height and plethora of tall, winding staircases.

If anyone wanted to climb it, they'd certainly have to do so slowly.

When Rapunzel finally arrived, he would have ample time to escape and never be seen again.

A knot rose in his throat at the thought of that.

Never heard from or seen again...

Well.....

At least he'd have Stalyan.

She seemed willing enough to be a travel companion, and was already showing a brighter personality.

Would that be enough?

He'd resigned himself to be strong enough to do this, but was he?

Eugene perked up with an idea, raising a reflective looking rock in front of him.

He stared at his appearance in its sheen.

His armor shifted to something that looked closer to the clothes the stone had burned up, but there was always a part of it clinging tightly to his body.

He frowned, running his hands through his hair.

The color didn't seem to be changing.

It was still that piercing shade of blue.

That horrible, dreaded blue.

His brow knotted.

His armor hadn't changed color either, but he hadn't been thinking much of that at the time.

If he had total control over the Moonstone, why couldn't he turn his hair back to normal?

He dug his fingers against his scalp, dragging them and focusing as much as he could.

 _He_ was in control...

The stone was bending to _his_ will...

He felt something firmly root at several points around his upper temple.

He opened his eyes and faced the mirror, surprised.

A crown of rocks adorned his head, something he felt at very cautiously.

He felt a bit too concerned to dispel them away.

Did they have roots? 

If he receded them, where would they go...?

Into his...brain...?

He shivered, accepting the rock crown and not wanting to take any chances.

So it couldn't change his hair color after all.

Damn.

He crafted a throne for himself to sit on while he waited.

He'd tried to coax Domino inside by offering a ramp for her to climb on, but the entire formation of the tower had badly spooked her.

There was no way he was getting her into the tower.

He sighed.

He wasn't as used to normal horses being so....easily frightened.

Remembering Maximus hurt his heart a little.

He'd had so many adventures with that stupid horse.

Eugene flushed, almost groaning at himself.

He must be lonely, considering he was reminiscing good times with a horse of all things.

He couldn't deny that he did miss him though, like how he missed all of them.

He missed Pascal's little noises that Rapunzel would always respond to.

He missed talking with Lance and sharing a laugh with him.

He even missed that damn smirk Cassandra would wear whenever she was right about something.

But he missed Rapunzel most of all.

That was no secret to him.

He missed the way she would say his name...

...the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about something she liked...

...the way she would scrunch her cute button nose whenever she was pouting..

....the way she brought music, light, and color into everything she did.

He caught himself mouthing her name in regret.

He held his head in his hands.

Why did he have to be the one to do this?

Why couldn't anyone else in his lineage have done this sooner?

He sighed.

Just another sacrifice he was willing to make.

It was fine.

Or at least....it would _have_ to be.

".... _Eugene._ You have to listen to me."

He was almost startled by Varian saying his real name.

So he had listened to the story after all.

Varian moved closer to him, but maintained a fair enough distance.

He held his arm anxiously.

"I know you think what you're doing is right. I know...I've been there."

Eugene narrowed his brow.

"I'm not like you, Varian."

The younger of the two shook his head in protest.

"Yes, you are! You feel like what you're doing is right...because you're doing it for the right reasons.", he pleaded," But you get this pit in your stomach...right? You're angry and sad that you have to be alone."

Varian approached him, arm outstretched.

"But it doesn't have to be like that! I thought that no one in the world wanted to help me save my dad. That they were being selfish and ignoring me. I felt so alone...it made me so angry that I.....I did horrible things."

He knotted his raven brow.

"I hurt everyone....and I justified it in my head. But that wasn't right. When I went too far with Rapunzel...I knew it. That's when everything hit me. I realized what I was doing wrong."

Eugene scoffed lightly,"You tried to kill us, kid. I'm _nothing_ like you. I know what I'm doing. I chose this path. I know it hurts but I don't care about that anymore."

He stared at his reflection in the rocks ahead.

"I don't regret it. I'm not weighed down by any of this. I'm not stopping.", he lied,"You were the one that failed your own goal. You wanted to save your dad and started trying to destroy Corona to get that. You hurt innocent people."

Varian clutched his arm timidly.

"I..I know. I wasn't thinking of anyone else's feelings. No one really got hurt, so I didn't think I was being a bad guy until....",his tense eyes looked away from Eugene,"...until she started bleeding."

Eugene froze, his eyes igniting in a protective flame.

"Who...? Who started bleeding?", he ratted off,"... _Rapunzel??_ "

Varian trembled a little, clearly wracked with shame and guilt.

He'd never looked more like a child until now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just...I just wanted to...I'm so sorry.", Varian bit his lip,"...I don't want to be a bad person, I was never trying to be...but..but I was so stupid...."

He looked up at Eugene with bright blue eyes.

Eugene turned away from him.

Varian grabbed his wrist.

" _Please_ listen.", Varian pleaded," You're making a huge mistake. You don't have to be the bad guy-"

Eugene whipped back around, throwing off his grip.

"-Is that what you think I am?", the former thief shot him an offended look, something hidden behind his eyes.

Eugene narrowed his gaze and turned back around, a brilliant ethereal cape flowing out as he did so.

A movement that was as subconscious as the formation of the crown upon his temple.

"I know what I'm doing Varian. For the last time, I'm not like you."

His words felt heavy on his lips.

"I don't want to see Rapunzel or the rest of them ever again. There's not a villain. This isn't a story. Heroes and villains aren't real, and that line gets too blurred for it to mean anything anyways."

His tongue dulled like an unkept blade.

"I'm not giving up. You gave up your ambition. You lost your nerve. Well, I'm not. I'm never stopping. I can't stop. I can't afford to."

He spoke to convince himself as much as he was convincing Varian.

He could practically feel the Moonstone spirit watching him.

He could feel her smiling.

"I'm fine."

His hands balled into tight fists.

Varian reached to say something else, but stopped as Eugene glanced back at him from over his shoulder.

"Please don't freak out. I'm not going to hurt you."

He crushed his fist tighter, a loose cage formed around Varian, rocketing high into air.

Varian clung to the bars, looking down at him from above.

Eugene didn't meet his eyes.

He hung his head slightly, blue bangs blocking out his expression.

"You'll stay in that cage until this is finished. Just in case you try running off before she can meet me here.", he sighed," I'll lower it for you then, don't worry."

Varian frowned at him, trying to gauge his thoughts.

"...Um...Thank you?", the boy raised an eyebrow.

Eugene shook his head, turning away before walking out of a grandiose doorway.

"Don't be.", he replied.

The doors shut behind him.


	23. Chapter 23

Rapunzel stared in awe at the gleaming rock tower, it's great height looming past the treetops and almost eclipsing the moonlight.

Her heart stirred as she tugged the reins on Maximus.

He reared to a halt around the base of the building.

Cassandra climbed off the back of him, her brow tense and mouth agape.

"... _Wow_.", she gawked.

Rapunzel nodded, "Yeah... _wow_."

Lance slowed Fidella behind them, his expression turning sour.

"Oh, please tell me we don't have to climb that thing. He's gotta be somewhere around the middle, right?"

Rapunzel took a deep breath and dismounted, hefting folds of her hair into her hands.

Cass watched her cautiously.

"...Raps...? What're you doing..?"

Rapunzel glared at the tower's peak, loosening her hair out like a rope.

"I'm climbing that tower.", she spoke without hesitation.

Lance hurried in front of her, raising his hands.

"Woah, woah, woah, Rapunzel!... _Princess_...I think there might be an easier way of getting in that tower without...I don't know, getting yourself killed??", he swallowed hard.

Rapunzel frowned at him, scrunching her nose.

"I'm not gonna _fall._ ", she scolded.

Cass shook her head.

"Lance is right, as much as I hate to admit it. I'd be all for charging in there to find him too, but there's gotta be a safer way up than scaling the whole tower."

Rapunzel sighed, rolling her hair in her arms to pull most of it off the ground.

Was Eugene really planning on hiding in there?

Was this just a distraction?

Had he left Varian behind somewhere?

Pascal crawled up onto her shoulder, nuzzling her face with concern.

Luckily, that kept her mind on track.

She pressed a hand to the sheen of the glassy rock tile.

"Eugene...please let me in.", she whispered aloud.

Cassandra and Lance had begun to circle the exterior, pawing the rock for some sort of entry.

Surprisingly, the wall parted after a moment of contact, providing her an easy entry into the stronghold.

Her eyes sparkled in disbelief.

Had he heard her through the rocks?

Had he felt her presence?

Did he want to come home?

She signaled for everyone to follow her as she raced inside.

The tower was quite wide looking from the interior, despite how narrow it had appeared outside.

Perhaps it's great height was to blame for that misconception.

What was narrow however, was the winding staircase that seemed to go up the entire tower in a loop.

Cassandra grimaced, "Damn. I doubt we could fit all of us on that thing together. We'll have to go single file."

Lance muttered something to himself about the sheer amount of steps to cross.

"I'll go first.", Rapunzel offered, already heading towards the first step.

Cassandra opened her mouth to protest, but Lance put a hand on her shoulder.

"She does have the magic hair and all. If those rocks shoot up on us, we're done for. But she-"

Cassandra cut him off, sheathing her sword, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm going second."

Her face bore a tense scowl on it as she moved close to Rapunzel, making sure she was ready to catch her if something threw the princess down the stairs.

The tower was chilled and claustrophobic.

The walls felt like they were bending inward like a funnel at certain parts of the ceiling, and the ceiling itself seemed to pinch to a point beyond their vision.

The ground appeared much wider down below.

Rapunzel nervously took in her surroundings.

She wasn't as easy to frighten anymore, at least in her own opinion, but the stairs were dangerously steep and lacked a railing despite their smooth surface.

They seemed deliberately crafted to force someone to ascend as slowly as possible.

If one ran ahead, they'd certainly plummet down below.

The floor felt icy beneath her feet, and her toes clung to each step as she climbed it.

The tower was completely closed off from the outside world, not letting in even a shred of natural light.

However, the structure wasn't entirely dark, as the rocks themselves seemed to shimmer with a low glimmering.

They could see in front of them as their eyes adjusted to the dim light, but it made the stairs seem far more precarious.

It was around the early morning outside, so perhaps the eventual sunrise would have some effect.

After carefully treading up most of the stairs, Rapunzel started to feel the slight ache of her calves flare up again.

She shut her mouth and refused to show any sign of being tired.

If she complained, Cass would try to lead in first, and if something hurt her friend....

....She didn't want to think about that.

She didn't think anything cruel of Eugene, he wasn't capable of such evil in her mind.

He would never willingly hurt Cassandra, and this was especially clear once he'd healed her charred hand.

If something happened it would be a complete accident.

...But that was still a dangerous and scary thought.

"Can anyone see how many flights are left?", Cassandra frowned, "This is taking forever."

Rapunzel nearly sighed in relief.

If Cassandra was getting tired, that meant she wasn't too weak after all.

"There is _no_ way Eugene climbed all these steps.", Lance groaned.

Cassandra scoffed," He probably just skipped the whole thing with his _moon-powers_....and he's probably gone by now anyways. This is a perfect set up for an escape. Let us exhaust ourselves while he books it to another kingdom."

Rapunzel bit her lip.

"No...I think he's close. He's still here."

She held a hand over her heart.

"I can feel it."

Lance leaned over Cassandra,"...You can feel him?"

Rapunzel nodded.

"This sounds pretty crazy, but I know he's here. It's like I can just feel him here.", she looked upward, "I think it's the Moonstone."

Her hair rose into a gleaming tower above their heads, illuminating the staircase and walls around them.

She smiled tiredly, "That means we're close."

  
  
  


Rapunzel kept a hand over her heart as she further ascended the staircase.

It was strange, but she could feel Eugene growing closer.

The Moonstone was clearly to blame, but did that mean he could feel her presence too?

She tried to reach out to him in her thoughts, despite knowing fully well that such a thing could never work.

_ Eugene… _

She patiently awaited a response to bring her some sort of comfort.

Her mind focused, picturing him standing alone in the tower.

Was the vision real?

Had her own fantasy created it?

It was like she was standing beside him for just a moment.

She tried to bring about this vision again, but the intense focus made her feel light-headed and short of breath.

She nearly lost her footing on the staircase.

Cassandra rushed to catch her from stumbling over.

“..Thank you, Cass..”, she wiped her face with slight fatigue.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and looked back to Lance.

“She’s too tired. I’m going on ahead. Keep her from falling off. I’m going after him.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widened as she blurted in protest.

“No!...No, I’m fine...!...It was just...it was nothing. I’m okay now.”, she steadied herself, taking in a deep breath,” I’m not letting anyone else rush in and get hurt in my place!”

Cassandra frowned, but listened anyway.

Rapunzel pressed forward, her mind racing with things to say.

She’d been pondering how to approach him for a few weeks now, and she was unsure of how to best address the situation.

She knew him.

She  _ loved  _ him.

But she was scared to confront him.

Yes, she was passionate with a fire in her chest, but she feared him running away again.

Eugene thought so little of his worth when it came to protecting her, and she wasn’t sure how to make him understand how she felt.

She knew he could tell that she was hurting.

But he seemed dismissive of it for the sake of protecting her from that grim possibility the Moonstone brought about.

She wanted him to let _her_ make this decision, to trust her.

She wanted to find her purpose.

She wanted answers.

The Moonstone uniting with the Sundrop felt like it was meant to happen.

She didn’t want to die, but she was willing to take the risk.

But how to make him understand that….

Her gaze shifted to the end of the stairs.

“We’re here!!”, she gasped in delight as she dashed up the final steps.

“Rapunzel!-”, Cassandra attempted to slow her down for safety but gave up and followed after, Lance at her tail.

The room was empty, save for a large cluster of rocks and a tall structure that reached close to the ceiling.

Rapunzel squinted at it as her eyes widened.

“ _ Varian!! _ ”

Two large doors opened behind her.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! I'll be updating this more frequently now so thank you all for reading this far and sticking with me!


	24. Chapter 24

Eugene slowly entered the room, his hand lowering along with Varian’s prison spire.

The cage swiftly unfurled itself, leaving the boy without a scratch.

Rapunzel eyed him carefully, biting her lip.

“...Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt him.”, he clarified, hardly looking in her direction.

He was dreading the inevitable moment of her demise.

He didn’t want to encourage her to approach him, even the slightest bit.

No matter how much he wanted to hold her and say that he loved her, or that he was sorry....

…He couldn’t.

He just couldn’t.

Rapunzel signaled for her friends to watch Varian outside of the room as she shut the double doored exit.

The two were finally alone.

“ _ Eugene,  _ this has to stop.”

Rapunzel stared at him with those wide green eyes.

Those eyes that could make him melt.

He tried to ignore the rising guilt in his chest.

“Don’t you get it, Rapunzel?”, he started,” I can control the rocks. I can save the kingdom....and anywhere else that needs it too. You don’t need the Moonstone anymore. I can take care of it.”

She shook her head,” That’s not the point, Eugene. This is  _ my  _ destiny. The Moonstone took the healing incantation from me, and now it wants the Sundrop to reunite with. I  _ have  _ to do this. I want to know what my purpose is. I want answers to all of this! I want to help! I want to save my kingdom!”

Eugene bit back the apology on his lips.

It felt horrible to keep away from her like this.

He felt uncomfortable making her cry or bringing her to scorn.

“Rapunzel, if I give the Moonstone back, you...will die.”, he stated firmly, his glare more desperate despite his stilled movements and mature demeanor.

She stuck out her lip.

“That is  _ not  _ going to happen. I’ll be fine.”, she retorted.

“-But what if you won’t be??”, he threw out his hands,”What happens then?? The only thing we know about this stone is that it’s pure evil! I don’t want to take your life from you! You’re free now! You deserve everything in the world but this!”

She hesitated at his words.

Rapunzel swept back a lock of her hair.

“Are you saying that you deserve this then? That you deserve to make yourself miserable worrying over me?”

His tongue felt slack in his mouth.

“...Rapunzel, this isn’t like that.”

She frowned,” Then why don’t you trust me?? I thought we trusted each other! I don’t need saving!”

He unconsciously reached his hand out to her.

“Blondie, I trust you, I just-”

The girl scoffed at him from atop his shoulder.

“You haven’t forgotten what we’ve talked about, have you?”, she scolded him,” You  _ must  _ fulfill your destiny. You must rid this world of these rocks. You must protect it from the Moonstone’s wrath. You must protect  _ her. _ ”

Eugene bit his lip.

“ _ Rapunzel _ …”, he corrected himself,”...Please go home. I don’t want you to get hurt. I know you can protect yourself, but this... _ this  _ is…”

Her eyes narrowed, clearly hurt.

“- _ Too dangerous _ for me to handle? Right?”, she tensed.

His shoulders loosened with the blow.

“...Rapunzel, I-I don’t mean that-”

She stepped towards him,”-then what  _ do  _ you mean?? You love me, but you don’t trust me, Eugene!”

Her eyes were watery and bright now, wavering with each step she took towards him and at every vocal shake.

“I  _ do _ trust you, I’m just-!!”, Eugene stopped himself.

Rapunzel stared back at him with those wide green eyes, seeing the small ripples from the ground around him and clearly aware of his pain.

It was his eyes wasn’t it?

He’d scared her.

He was horrible.

A monster.

Eugene felt himself back away from her ever so slightly.

_ The mental state he’d put himself through for the past few days…. _

He had to think straight.

Eugene rested against one of the rocks, his chest threatening to heave.

“...I’m scared.”, he admitted.

That certainly felt horrid to utter out.

Scared.

He was scared for her.

Vulnerability was a frightening concept.

Flynn Rider was a mask to hide everything like that.

He never cried or was afraid of anything, and he definitely wasn’t going to let anyone know if he was.

No sentimentality...no backstories…

But Eugene was not Flynn Rider.

Even so, he’d yet to shed a tear around his beloved before.

Rapunzel’s brow turned tender as she moved towards him.

He slowly turned away from her to compose himself.

“...You’re afraid of the Moonstone?...Of what it can do?..”, she softly spoke.

He slicked back his hair, wiping away a thin bead of sweat.

“I’m scared of losing you.”, he whispered his response, eyes now locked on hers, "The stone is...something horrible that I don’t want to put you through. I don’t want to take your world from you, Rapunzel. You’re my light. I believe in you and your heart and that you can do really anything you set your mind to, but please….”

His voice felt choked in his throat, it’s deep, purred flow being strangled for a moment in time.

“Sunshine...Don’t go looking for me. I know that you have what it takes to make Corona the greatest place on earth, and you’ll be the best princess who ever lived...so please.  _ Please _ forgive me for this; but please keep on living. You deserve more than me or any of this. Make your destiny your own. You still have a chance.”

Rapunzel shook her head, taking another step forward.

“No. You and I both know that I will  _ never  _ stop looking for you if you turn and leave me. I _ know _ you Eugene. I  _ love _ you. And I’m not dumb...I can tell when you’re lying through your teeth.”

His voice caught in his throat.

Of course she could tell he didn’t want her to leave and forget about him.

She was brilliant first of all.

And secondly, he hardly believed himself.

He knew he wanted to protect her from a grizzly fate, but he definitely hated this entire ordeal.

“Please,  _ Eugene _ …”, she offered her hand to him,”...Just trust me on this.”

The girl sighed in his ear.

“Well that didn’t exactly go as planned, hm? We should be leaving for the Spire as soon as possible.”, she frowned,” There’s clearly no convincing her otherwise.”

Eugene chewed his lip, trying to figure out how to leave without breaking her heart any further.

“ _ Rapunzel?? Are you still in there???”,  _ Cassandra’s muffled voice called through the door, followed by a series of knocking,” _..It...it won’t open!” _

Rapunzel looked back at the door fretfully.

Now was as good a time as any.

“Don’t worry, Cass, it’s fine! Eugene can open the-”, she was cut off as a sheet of rock burst from the ground before her, blocking her love from her sight.

“Eugene!!?  _ Eugene!!! _ ”, she pressed against the wall, shouting.

In an instant the chamber door flung open, Cassandra, Varian, and Lance tumbling inside and overtop of each other.

“Now’s your chance!”, the girl hissed, but Eugene was already ahead of her.

He threw out his hands, the wall tearing open to morph into a slender platform that wrapped the outer building.

His heels made contact, locking against the railing as he slid around the tower’s edge.

“Very clever.”, she praised.

He skidded to a halt nearly halfway down the building, bursting open the wall to the staircase.

She frowned, reaching to tap his shoulder,”...Um, your majest-”

He shifted away from her, throwing up a hand, ”Now hold on just a minute. A thought occurred to me.”

His gaze turned accusatory.

“You're the Moonstone. What could you possibly need from the Spire? Why do you even know about that place?”, he punctuated his points with gestures,”...And most importantly, why should I be listening to you at all now? I have all the power and control I could ever need. What’s stopping me from going back to Rapunzel right now and just never taking this thing off?”

She studied him for a moment, her eyes either concerned or calculating.

The girl smiled, chuckling lightly.

“Is this about what she said to you before? That she’s upset you don’t trust her..?”

He started to speak as she cut him off.

“You do realize you are scared, right? It’s no surprise, really. Going back to Rapunzel would put her in more danger than she would be if you kept away. You’re just ashamed of how little faith you have right now.”, she sighed, ”I should’ve expected it. You think that since you have more power now, suddenly you can take your life back into your own hands. I thought better of you.”

He scoffed,”... _ Better??! _ ”

She rolled her eyes, ”I mean I thought you were smarter. I’d figured a former master-thief could detach himself a bit from his personal life when it came to work. You  _ are _ still focused on the mission, right?  _ To protect Rapunzel? _ ”

He narrowed his eyes tiredly.

“...This hostility is really unlike you.”, she crossed her arms.

Eugene stared at the railing, ”So how close can I be to her..?”

She tapped her chin in thought.

“Hmmm....I’m not sure. I wouldn’t tempt it. You were smart to keep your distance during that argument.”

The girl gestured taking his hands in hers, despite being incorporeal in reality.

Her eyes were softer as she smiled at him.

“I’ve never had a host before, sire, and I’ve certainly never had a friend. You’ve accomplished more than I could have ever imagined, and we’ve barely even started.”, she sighed,”...I know you miss her. I understand, but please put your love to good use. Rapunzel’s destiny is to die, so that the Sundrop and the Moonstone can reunite.  _ You  _ are changing that destiny.”

She spoke very gently, almost a motherly whisper.

“You know Rapunzel. You know she won’t give up on her ‘destiny’. If you’re like this...so...sentimental...then it’s much safer for her if you keep running. We just need something from the Spire that might help fix all of this.”

Eugene took a deep breath.

“...You really think a magical artifact could fix all of this?...And things would be...normal again?”, he looked up from the floor.

She seemed a bit brighter,”...Well, being a magical artifact myself, I have a pretty good guess. Let’s get going.”

He nodded, drawing forth the railing again to form a ramp straight to the forest floor.

She was right.

If anything, his feelings were fueling him to save Rapunzel.

He still had faith in her.

These black rocks were the real issue.

Hopefully this would all be a bad memory in the future.

He’d finally be able to get back to his life.

...Or...at least the life he wanted.

The girl floated swiftly beside him as he started his descent.

“You know, your highness”, she began,”...I feel like our meeting was destiny too.”

He narrowed his eyes,”...I suppose being the prince of some  _ dead kingdom _ does give that merit. Not the story I would’ve chosen, that’s for sure.”

She tittered, ”You’re always so pessimistic. Think about it this way: doesn’t the moon prince taking the stone from the Sundrop sound like fate?”

He groaned, ”That’s very  _ romantic _ . Not that being the ‘moon prince’ is _ fun _ .”

The girl’s smirk rose as she tapped his crown.

“Not like you have much of a choice.”, she smarted.

Right.

That.

He ignored his accessories for the moment.

“That’s a good way of thinking about it, I guess. I’ll just pull up my straps and keep going. No use complaining now if we’re almost finished.”

She clapped her hands together, ”You’ve graduated from pessimism to apathy! Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Apathy wasn’t really the right word for it.

He was sure of that as he heard Rapunzel calling in the distance, his heart clinging to the sound of her voice.

He cared, he just...needed to compartmentalize.

He’d done this before, not like it was too difficult.

Flynn Rider did this stuff all the time.

Eugene did it a few times too.

Horace didn’t really matter.

He wasn’t willing to wallow in self pity anymore or else he’d lose his spirit.

This was a mission and he had an end goal now.

He couldn’t lose heart like that again.

He was in control.

This was his destiny now.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long! I will get back to my regular updating schedule! Thank you all for sticking with this, even through the long hiatus!


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